Bundle of Joy
by lilac17
Summary: Married and expecting a child, Bella and Edward were ready for a happily ever after, but everything seems to be threatened when someone from the past reenters their lives, with secrets that can break the couple up. AU-AH
1. New York, New York

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Stephanie.**

**A/N: This is my first time writing a Twilight story. I hope you like it and review so I can get better. Thanks to ninna and PTB, who beta'd this first chapter!**

**Chapter One**

I threw myself on the bed and sighed happily; it was nice to be home after a tiring day. After I got comfortable with the many pillows Edward insisted we should have on the bed, I extended my arms to get the two shopping bags that were on the nightstand table to inspect what I had bought. The Baby Dior white blanket with a bear embroidered on it and the pair of yellow socks were so cute that I wanted to cry. I started to cry and a few tears fell on my arm. Damn these pregnancy hormones! Yesterday, I cried when watching a diapers' commercial and now this! I don't know if I'll be able to handle the waterworks for the next months. I moaned, imagining myself bursting into tears during work or at the movies.

Unlike any other woman that would want to buy an entire baby boutique five minutes after finding out about her pregnancy, it took me ten different pregnancy tests that came out positive and a visit to my doctor to finally realize that I was indeed pregnant and that I'd have a baby in less than a year.

Edward and I have been married for only three years and we were progressing in our respective jobs, Edward was a doctor and I was a writer for a relatively new fashion magazine that was having great success. The funniest thing was, before I moved to New York, I never considered going near a fashion publication. I didn't even know what a Birkin bag was until Edward gave me one. Everyone was so shocked that I didn't know what it was that I had to google it as soon as I got home and almost fainted after reading the price for one of these things. However, moving to Manhattan and spending way too much time with Alice had changed me a lot. I became more and more interested in designer clothes, shoes and bags and turned into a girly girl, but not as girly as Alice, of course. And when my friend told me that a new fashion magazine was looking for writers, I knew that was what I wanted to do.

I delicately held the blanket and sniffed it. The soft fabric didn't smell of anything right now, and secretly, I couldn't wait for it to have that wonderful fragrance that only babies had. This thought really surprised me because I was never one of those girls who dreamed of having two perfect children and the perfect husband. Even after I married Edward, having a child was not ranked high on my to-do list. After all, I was raised by Renee and Charlie and they weren't a nice source of inspiration for these family fantasies. I could swear that those two spent my whole childhood having stupid fights until they decided that divorce was the best option and Renee moved to Phoenix when I was fifteen. She wanted me to move with her, but I had friends and a life in Forks that I didn't want to leave behind.

As I entered a baby boutique at Lexington, I was surprised at how I wanted to buy everything that was on the shelves, including an enormous stuffed polar bear. But I couldn't be blamed. The place was a pastel colored, mommy-to-be trap, and I felt like I was surrounded by everything adorable in the world. I had to fight off the urge to place an order on the white, perfect crib that was on display, but after biting my lip in a painful way to remind myself that it was too early to buy a crib, I was able to leave the store with only two small items.

I extended my arm to get the remote control and turned on the gigantic flat screen to see what was on. I was always working at this time of the day, so I had no idea what was on this afternoon. I actually didn't want to be home right now, but my boss told me to go home after I fainted during one of those brainstorming meetings. Vera Reed, my boss and the editor in chief, was tough when it came to work, but she was very careful with the pregnant employees. She was even more careful with me and I suspected it was because I was a Cullen and the Cullens were already an influential family in Manhattan. So, when I tried to reason out, telling her that I would be fine after I drank some water, Vera didn't listen to me and practically shoved me inside a cab.

"What are you doing here?" A melodic voice asked, startling so much that the remote control flew out my hands and, thankfully , onto the mattress. Edward was a little protective over his electronic gadgets and that included his precious flat screen's remote. I turned to him and grinned, he was looking as handsome as ever, wearing a navy blue sweater that would look bad in anyone else but him.

"Vera sent me home, I felt a little dizzy during a meeting," I said the last part very softly, hoping-to no avail-that Edward wouldn't hear. After all, he always got too worried with me. At first, I thought it was really cute, but after three weeks, the whole Edward treating me like a porcelain doll started to get annoying and now I just couldn't take it anymore.

"What? Are you okay?" Edward asked, rushing to the bed, looking like I had told him that I got hit by a car- not that I had one of the usual pregnancy symptoms. He placed one of his hands on my forehead, checking my temperature and I rolled my eyes. That was the bad thing about being married to a doctor: they always thought the worst was happening.

"I'm fine, Edward, I promise. Angela gave me a bottle of water, crackers and I even went shopping!" I couldn't help but let the excitement show in my voice when I pointed to the two small and perfect objects that were lying on the bed.

"You went baby shopping?" Edward questioned in a surprised tone with raised eyebrows and I snorted. Just because I wasn't the most excited person when I found out about the pregnancy, it didn't mean that I wouldn't love the idea later on.

"Yes, Edward, I went baby shopping." I extended my left arm to hold his hand and patted the side of the bed with the other. He understood what my gesture meant and sat next to me, looking at the white blanket and the pair of yellow socks.

"You didn't buy anything pink or blue," he commented, leaning down to lay his head on my lap. I smiled pleased and started to run my hand through his soft, bronze hair that definitely needed a haircut.

"I wanted to buy things in neutral colors, hence the white and yellow," I explained, massaging his temples. I knew I was the one who was supposed to be receiving massages, but I could tell that he was a little tense today. Maybe something happened at the hospital and he didn't want to tell me. I always got a little upset with those sad hospital stories, so Edward was avoiding telling me about work when something bad happened.

"Oh." His eyebrows were furrowed and I knew that he was thinking about the baby's gender; he always had that face when he thought about it. Edward was a recovered womanizer and I knew he was scared as hell of having a baby girl, even if he didn't actually say it. "Alice won't agree with that bullshit. As soon as you start shopping with her, we'll be swimming with everything blue and everything pink."

"It's not like we don't have any room." I smiled looking around. When we got married, Esme decided to give us a wedding gift: a huge full floor penthouse located at Park Avenue. Apparently, Esme came from old money and when her father died, she inherited a lot of money and many properties, including this penthouse and various buildings. Claiming she didn't have any use for it - she and Carlisle lived in a townhouse that had eight rooms- Esme gave us the apartment.

At first I thought it was a little too much and I didn't want to accept it. I mean, Renee gave me a set of pans as a wedding gift. However, Edward managed to convince me by saying that the penthouse was one of Esme's favorite places and that she wanted us to have the same happiness she had felt while staying there. Edward's argument, the huge balcony, the terrace, a library for my books and the view to Central Park made me fall in love with the place and stop feeling guilty about having an expensive thing like that handed to me.

"I never thought I'd see you so excited about the baby." Edward gave me his signature crooked smile and I became even more excited about the pregnancy. I could already see that beautiful smile on a toddler that looked exactly like him.

"I am excited, I was just worried when I found out I was pregnant. Your job is demanding, my job is demanding and you've just been promoted…" I trailed off, hoping he would understand what I was trying to say. Edward was finishing his residency at the Lenox Hill Hospital and had already been offered a position to continue working there. I knew he loved his job, so I was afraid he wouldn't appreciate the fact that I was pregnant and we would have to change our lifestyle. Fortunately, in a very Edward way, he scooped me into his arms and told me he loved me more than anything thirty seconds after I had told him I was pregnant.

Thank God, because I just didn't know what I would do if he thought that now wasn't the best time to have a baby.

"I love you Bella." He turned around so his green eyes were staring at mine, and then his gaze dropped down to my belly and his hand started to caress my small bump in a loving manner and I could feel the tears coming again. "I love you too, baby," he murmured to my stomach and kissed it.

"I love you too, Edward." I tapped his shoulder and he rose from his place to give me the proper kiss I've been waiting for since he got home. We gently broke the kiss and Edward bit my lip in that gentle, sensual way that only he could pull off.

"My mom is throwing a dinner tonight," he informed me while taking off his sweater, revealing a white t-shirt that made his broad and muscled chest look great. Even though Edward was always busy with his job, he still made sure to jog in Central Park and hit the gym with Emmett whenever he wasn't swamped with work or exhausted.

"Oh, that's nice." I loved Esme's parties, but I was planning on having a quiet evening, write an article or watch a movie cuddled up with Edward. Knowing my mother-in-law, she would probably invite every socialite that was living in Manhattan and they would flirt with Edward mercilessly until I finally stepped in to put an end to it. I've been married to the guy for three years and the number of socialite tramps who liked hitting on him was still too high for my taste.

"You sound excited." he chuckled and grabbed the remote control, clicking the button to change my LifeStyle channel to ESPN. I could notice that he was happy there was a basketball game on and rolled my eyes. Edward could be such a guy sometimes.

"Can't we stay home this time, please?" I pouted, trying to make my best puppy face. He just laughed and shook his head. Well, it was worth a shot.

"Mom is basically organizing this thing to celebrate the pregnancy. Don't worry, she's not going to tell anyone. I know it's a little early for that. Besides, she promised that there will be no fifty year old socialites," Edward said in a silky voice that always helped him convincing me.

"She always promises that and they always show up," I muttered, placing the baby items back into the shopping bag.

I was only eleven weeks along and we found out about the pregnancy two weeks, so we didn't have time to even start planning the nursery and then we had no special place to put the baby things. I'd have to discuss the plans for furniture shopping with Alice. Perhaps we could do that in a few weeks.

"It's not her fault; mom has this amazing inability to say no." We both laughed at how true his words were. Esme Cullen was certainly the nicest woman I've ever met and she couldn't say no to anybody. I laid my cheek on his chest and he started to play with my hair, making it messier than it was before.

"I just don't want any of the cougars hitting on you," I whined against his skin, remembering the group of fifty year old, divorced women that liked to indulge a little too much on Botox.

"First of all, did you say cougar? The dizziness certainly affected more than you think. Second of all, cougars are supposed to be hot women. These women are _not _hot, Bella."

"Ha,ha. It's still early, can we take a nap?" I asked with my eyes closed. He nodded, placing his other hand on my back and caressed the skin.

"You can sleep now. I'll wake you up later, okay? But you have to promise me that you're going to eat the snack Liana will prepare you." I nodded, agreeing to what he said, even though the only words I heard were _promise_ and _Liana_. Liana was our personal chef- courtesy of Esme, of course- so I figured that Edward was trying to get me fed.

Nothing new here.

"Good night, love," I mumbled into his chest and let sleep take over me.

"Bella, Edward, you're here!" Esme exclaimed when she saw us on the entrance hallway, handing our coats to one of the maids whose name I couldn't remember at the moment. Esme has so many maids that it was kind of hard to remember everybody's names. She rushed to embrace us in a tight hug like it had been years since she last saw us.

"Hey mom, I'm sorry we didn't bring any wine. I had to make sure that Bella was eating properly and I forgot," Edward apologized in that smooth voice and I rolled my eyes. He always had this way of making me look like a whiny child who didn't listen to her parents and I hated that.

"Don't listen to him, Esme. I was feeling a little nauseated and Edward wanted me to eat a whole chicken sandwich." From the corner of my eye, I could see Edward's eyes widen a little bit in surprise. With a little effort, I ate the chicken sandwich without telling him that I was having a bad case of 'evening' sickness. If Edward saw that I wasn't feeling well, he would've probably made me stay in the bed.

And no, not doing 'funny' things.

"Well, are you feeling better now? Because I don't want you to feel obligated to stay," Esme said in pure motherly concern and I smiled, choosing to ignore the glares that Edward was sending me.

"I'm fine now, Esme. Thank you." Esme opened her mouth to say something, but one of the guests called her with certain urgency. Flashing us an apologizing look, she left to go attend to the woman who needed her attention so much.

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling sick?" Edward questioned in a hiss as we walked to the living room. His jaw was tight and I could tell he was trying not to get upset.

"Edward, I'm pregnant. I'm bound to feel nauseated. You shouldn't worry so much, sweetheart." I threw the little endearment, hoping to soften him a little bit. Edward always got upset when I tried to hide those things from him. I tried to tell him everything, but that was just not possible.

"You should've told me anyway, we didn't need to come." He tried to look serious, but couldn't maintain his expression when I ran my hands trough his hair and finally gave me that crooked smile that always made me swoon.

"We can leave early if you want and then you can examine me to make sure I'm okay," I whispered in his ear and smirked when his body tensed a little and his eyes darkened.

"You have got to stop doing this when we're in my parent's house," Edward said while pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to get a hold of himself.

"Bella!" Alice cried, gracefully running and enveloping me in a hug. She was probably surprised to see me. After all,I wasn't very good at hiding my distaste for these society parties that Esme liked to throw. "You're wearing that dress we got at Barneys!"

I could swear that she was almost jumping at the sight of my loose fitted peacock blue dress. She was wearing a fitted black cocktail dress and I felt a little jealous of her Even though my stomach wasn't big, there was no way I would be able to wear one of these dresses right now.

"Hey Alice, nice to see you too," Edward greeted her in a sarcastic tone and Alice shrugged her shoulders in an almost apologizing manner.

"Hey brother, how are you these days?" Alice asked in an exaggerated politeness, sounding like a little girl taunting her big brother. There were times when I couldn't handle these two.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Edward rolled his eyes at her and turned to look at me. "I'm going to talk to Jasper and Emmett, okay? Be safe for the next ten minutes, please."

"I won't move, I promise," I said and he gave me a quick peck on the lips before walking away. Alice sighed relieved and I laughed at how childish she could be.

"Finally, I wanted to talk about the baby and I couldn't because he was here," she explained to me like I was retarded for not understanding her.

"Alice, you can talk about the baby in front of Edward. He's the father, remember?"

"Trust me; there isn't a guy who wants to hear things like baby stuff, which is exactly what we're going to talk about now. I went to SoHo today, there was this super cute baby boutique and we need to go there tomorrow!" Alice started to ramble, her face getting a little red with excitement. I really tried to keep up with her every word, but I wasn't able to. So I just nodded and let say whatever she wanted to. "I know you still didn't get anything!"

"Actually, I bought a blanket and a pair of socks, they're so adorable!" I confessed and Alice laughed, delighted that I seemed to be open to the idea of going on a shopping spree- baby edition -with her.

"We should go see a decorator to turn one of the guest rooms into a nursery!" I had already thought that, but I didn't want to start planning things too early, I was only eleven weeks along and everybody knew about the high risk of miscarriage in the first trimester.

"Yeah, we'll do that later on. I don't want to be concerned with decorators and that stuff now." That was a meek excuse and Alice wouldn't buy it, but I didn't want to tell her that I was a little afraid of having a miscarriage. She'd probably tell Edward and he'd treat me like I was more fragile than a porcelain doll.

"Okay, Bella, if that's what you…" She trailed off and a frowned so deeply that it was almost comical. Alice never frowned, so I raised my eyebrow questioningly.

"What's going on?" I turned around, trying to see what made Alice react like that. I saw _it_ immediately and felt my heartbeat get a little faster. The one who shall remain unnamed, a nickname created by Alice, was supposed to be in Europe, enjoying winter break. However, this was not Europe and that little thing shouldn't be here.

"What the hell is _that_ doing here?" I hissed lowly, disgust dripping from my voice.

The storm arrived in Manhattan and I was sure my life wouldn't be calm anymore.


	2. Hurricane Tanya

A/N: So sorry for making you guys wait so much for an update! I'll try to be faster, I promise! Thanks so much for reviewing! If you want to make me smile, please do it again!

Bella

I could feel a headache coming and all the color draining from my face. Tanya Denali, who was supposed to be jet setting around Europe and enjoying the winter in Switzerland or whatever place she liked to go, was at the same party I was and looking amazingly gorgeous in a fitted, strapless chocolate brown dress that stopped above her knees. Tanya had these amazing legs that could go for days and all I had now were my swollen ankles that made it impossible for me to wear high heels. Life was so unfair sometimes! I didn't want to face my bitter rival looking like a cow while she looked like a Victoria's Secret model.

"Are you okay, Bella?" I heard Alice's soft voice asking me and I nodded. Ten seconds ago, I really felt like I would throw up, but I was feeling a little better right now. I glanced at Edward's direction and saw that he was engaged in an intense conversation with Emmett and Jasper, his forehead wrinkling in an adorable way and I could tell that they must be talking about sports or work. Since Emmett didn't really appreciate all the hospital talk, I could only guess that they were discussing football or baseball, Emmett's favorite. Alice lightly tapped on my shoulder to snap me out of my Edward –induced daze.

"Yeah, I'm okay. What is _she _doing here?" I loudly whispered the question, afraid that any of the guests would overhear us and start gossiping. Believe me; these women were capable of anything. Alice fidgeted, obviously as nervous as I was.

"I don't know. Remember what I told you last week? Mrs. Denali called and told mom that Tanya was in Switzerland and would be in Europe for another couple of months." Alice told me with a confused look on her face. Even though I only nodded, my mind was working like crazy, thinking about the million possibilities that could explain why Tanya was here.

There was a simple explanation that I wanted to ignore, but I wouldn't be able to do so for too long. Even if I didn't want to think about it, Tanya Denali was Edward's first love, first kiss, first…ugh…time. I shuddered at the thought of that and felt my stomach churning. It was official no : my baby definitely didn't like Tanya.

"Well, it's obvious why she's here. For Edward," I said, pointing to Edward with my jaw. Alice shook her head adamantly, not really believing in my theory.

"She knows you two are married now!" she cried and I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

I'm sure that Tanya wouldn't be bothered with the fact that Edward was married. She never quite understood that 'ex girlfriend' meant that you have no possession over the person anymore. She always believed she had the right to intrude in Edward's life as she saw fit. This is why I was afraid of what could happen now that Hurricane Tanya had arrived in Manhattan.

"That won't stop her, I'm sure," I said as I watched her gracefully greet Carlisle with a bright smile, opening her arms to envelop him in a hug like they used to do when she and Edward were dating.

When we were much younger, we didn't live in Manhattan; we lived in Forks, a small, rainy town in Washington. I met Alice when I was six and the two of us hit it off immediately and became best friends after five minutes, I also managed to get along with her two brothers, Emmett and Edward. After nine years, hormones and all that stuff came and I realized I was in love with Edward. Since I was the luckiest girl on the planet, the day I thought I was ready to confess to him how much I liked him was the same day he decided to bring home his girlfriend. Yes, the girlfriend was Tanya, who had just moved to Forks from California and she believed she was better than all of us because of that. Of course she didn't show it, but that fact was plain obvious to Alice and me.

I shuddered again with the memory of holding back my tears one evening during dinner at the Cullen's; we had been forced to hear the very extensive tale of how Edward and Tanya had first met and realized they were perfect for each other. All told from Tanya's perspective of course, Edward just adding something every now and then.

That had been one of the worst days of my life and I didn't want to relive it, so I tried to pay attention in something else, like the violinists from the New York Philharmonic that Esme had hired to play at the 'small gathering'. Like her daughter, the woman just didn't know how to keep things simple.

"Tanya won't humiliate herself, Bella. That's something she wouldn't do." Alice assured me, but I didn't know what to think anymore.

Tanya was a proud woman, but I had no doubt that she would do whatever she could to get Edward back and that included humiliating herself. When we were younger, Tanya was able to keep Edward on a leash, having him do everything she wanted. It would have been ridiculous if it weren't so painful for me to watch; everything she wanted was hers in a minute. Everything included a new phone, bouquet of roses every week, Godiva chocolate and even jewelry. They were high school sweethearts and I could tell that everyone besides me and Alice was expecting the day Tanya would come bearing a huge engagement ring.

Fortunately, in senior year 'the oh, so sweet' couple had a huge fight about what colleges they would attend. Edward, being the genius he was, got accepted to Dartmouth, Harvard, and some other colleges while Tanya only got into USC (the place where her father had connections). She insisted that it would be better for him to go to Berkeley and give up his dream of attending Dartmouth. When Edward said he couldn't do that, she threw the biggest fit ever, breaking one of Esme's china plates.

Thankfully and finally, Edward didn't have the patience to endure Tanya anymore and broke it off with her before leaving to New Hampshire. It was in New Hampshire that sweet, piano player Edward became THE Edward Cullen, big man on campus who could get all the girls he wanted just by snapping his fingers and flashing them his most charming smile.

"I hope so. I really can't deal with Tanya and being pregnant at the same time," I told Alice truthfully. Worrying about my husband's ex girlfriend while having morning sickness, dizziness and swollen ankles was something I wasn't ready for. Alice reached for my hand and gave it a little reassuring squeeze.

"You know how she is; she can smell fear and insecurity." Alice reminded me and I nodded, stroking my belly before putting on a strong front. Tanya was now talking to a small, chubby woman who seemed to be very excited. She looked up and from her conversation and flashed me one of her grins. Three and half years ago, that same grin had made me feel extremely insecure and scared; today it just made me think about how much Tanya was trying to intimidate me.

I was sure that she never got over Edward, after all. But on second thought, who can get over Edward Cullen?

"Do you think I should give Edward the heads up?" The three men standing in the corner were so wrapped up in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the strawberry blonde working the room like she was the hostess. Alice put a finger on her chin, thinking about the right answer to my question.

"Yes, it's better not to let her surprise him…" She trailed off and I knew exactly what she meant. A surprised Edward meant a more vulnerable Edward. Vulnerable to Tanya's advances, of course. After all, that woman was the mistress of manipulation. "You go there and I'll talk to mom and ask her what the hell she's doing here," Alice said and with her usual grace, she moved through the party to look for Esme.

With not so much grace as my best friend, I walked towards Edward and wrapped my hands around his waist. He smiled and kissed my forehead, his left arm rising to rest protectively on my shoulders, as usual. Everything that Edward did was about protecting me, something that I appreciated dearly, even if it got a little annoying sometimes.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I greeted Emmett and Jasper with a genuine smile. It had been three weeks since I'd talked to them, which was a long time, considering that we had a ritual of going out to dinner every week. However, nausea and Edward's overreaction made impossible for me to go out to dinner with the other two couples.

"Bella, how is my nephew treating you?" Emmett asked, letting out one of his booming laughs.

Edward had already told me that there was a bet about the sex of the baby going on and Emmett was the one organizing the whole thing.

"Your niece is fine, Em. She still makes me run to the bathroom sometimes, but other than that, she's great." I giggled, resting both hands on my stomach. Emmett's face blanched and I tried not to laugh. When did I become such a great actress? And when did Emmett become so easy to fool? Next to me, Edward chuckled lowly. Em must have put a lot of money on that bet.

"Except that it's a boy, right Bella?" Emmett tried to make his voice playful, but I could notice the hint of desperation. I wanted to continue playing this little game and watch Emmett trying to pretend he wasn't worried about the bet, but I had to talk to Edward.

"Oh please, Emmett, I'm eleven weeks pregnant, they don't know the sex of the baby yet!" I cried, looking at him like he was stupid.

"Oooh!" He dramatically wiped non-existent sweat from his brow, looking very relieved and then turned to Jasper. "Come on man. Let's try to find a beer," Emmett said and they walked away in the quest for a cold Heineken. I didn't really think they would be able to find it; Esme knew about her son's weakness when it came to beer.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked analyzing my appearance to make sure I wouldn't lie to him.

"I'm fine, but, um...have you seen who's here?"

Edward ran his hands up and down my arms, making me sigh for a second.

"No, is it an opera singer? Mom wanted to have one of those but…"

"Look." I interrupted him, grabbing his jaw so I could turn his head to the right direction. His hands got a little tense, squeezing my arms more than the usual and I didn't know if that was a good thing.

Was Edward tense because he never wanted to see Tanya again or was he tense because he wanted to see her but not when I was around?

At the thought of this last possibility, my hands started to sweat with anticipation. I needed to know what Edward was thinking at the moment, but he managed to keep his expression blank.

"Tanya," he whispered and I could feel my body tensing just because of the way he murmured her name. I didn't want my husband murmuring another woman's name, especially when the other woman had been his girlfriend for almost three years.

"Did you know she was going to be here?" I already knew the answer, but I felt that I needed to ask, just to calm my worries.

"No, Bella, of course I didn't. As far as I'm concerned, this was supposed to be a small gathering." His voice was a little hard and I guess I must have gasped at his tone because his green eyes immediately softened. "I'm sorry, love, I didn't mean to snap at you."

The back of his hand caressed my cheek in an apologetic manner and I nodded, silently telling him it was okay. I wouldn't let some spoiled little tramp ruin my night and my marriage.

I smelt a sickly sweet aroma of a French perfume and knew that Tanya was close. Judging by the way Edward swallowed, I figured she was standing behind me.

"Edward, Bella, isn't that a nice surprise?" Tanya drawled exactly like she used to do when we were seventeen and pushed a strawberry blonde lock behind her ear. Edward's arm circled my waist protectively, and if Tanya felt bothered with that gesture, she didn't show it.

"I don't believe it's a surprise. After all, this is my parents' house." Edward pointed out and Tanya didn't even have the grace to look sheepish like most people would.

"Yes, I think I forgot about that. It must be the jet lag." She giggled a little girl and I could feel my eyes narrowing. Call me crazy jealous or something, but for me, she just admitted that she hopped from the plane to the party just to see Edward. That seemed like something she would do when they were dating.

"You were in Switzerland, right?" I asked, hoping that if I talked to her, she would have to look at me instead of looking at Edward.

"No, I was supposed to be in Switzerland. I was in Sardinia before the weather got cold. Have you ever been there?" she asked in a playful voice and winked. I blinked twice, not really believing what just happened. Did she wink at me? Next to me, I could feel Edward get as stiff as a board.

"No." I had a feeling that if I elaborated, I'd lose my temper and that wouldn't be a pretty scene.

"You should try it in the summer, I'm sure that Edward wouldn't mind taking you there. What place is more romantic than Italy?" She laughed and sipped on her champagne.

"Bella has a job, Tanya. I know you must be unfamiliar with the idea of having a job, but we can't leave and go to another country whenever we want," Edward growled to her in a much impolite tone, but if Tanya was hurt, she didn't show it. "Besides, we're going to have a baby."

"You're going to be a daddy? That's interesting," Tanya raised an eyebrow and I frowned. What the hell did she mean by that? The way she'd said it made it sound like Edward didn't want to have kids. Maybe he used to tell her that he didn't want to be a father when they were together. But then again, they were eighteen when they were together, so it made sense that Edward didn't want to have a child at that time.

"It's _amazing_, I am very happy." Edward assured her and I could swear that her face fell, but she quickly recovered. In a sick way, I felt pleased that Tanya had to witness my happiness with Edward just like she'd flaunted their happiness in my face during the years they were together.

"I never thought I'd hear those words coming out of your mouth." Tanya's eyes were locked with his and it looked like they were having a silent conversation or argument and that bothered me. Being able to communicate through stares was something that couples did and I was feeling like the third wheel, even though Edward was _my _husband.

Suddenly, the scene happening at the moment became a little too much for me and I felt my bile rising. I took a deep breath, trying to control my nausea. I wouldn't let her know that she was affecting me.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asked and that was when I noticed that I was cold and probably a little green. I hated that I couldn't really hide my feelings from anybody.

"Yeah, Alice is calling me so I'd better go see what she wants," I informed them before leaving, not able to stand there for another minute. Like I had conjured her, Alice was standing on the other corner of the room, looking like she really needed to talk to me. Thank God Alice knew me so well by now, or I would've been humiliated.

"Are you sure you're okay?" His green eyes were staring, trying to make sure I was telling the truth, like usual. I nodded before turning around to go to Alice.

As long as I didn't puke on Esme's Moroccan and super expensive rug, I didn't care if Edward was alone with Tanya. Besides, there were guests around them and not even Tanya would want to face Esme's wrath if she ruined her party.

Edward

Oh, fuck.

That's all I could think when I saw Tanya and double fuck when Bella seemed to be feeling sick and left me alone with her. Normally an 'ex girlfriend' wouldn't have such an impact on a couple's life, but apart from Bella, Tanya was the only serious girlfriend I had. A few years ago, Bella confessed that she had been in love with me ever since we were fifteen, and that seeing me with Tanya had kind of broken her. Because of that, I knew that any sight of Tanya could hurt Bella and I certainly didn't want that.

"My, my, Edward. I have to say that you've changed a lot," Tanya said, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. I snorted and shrugged my shoulders.

"I didn't change, Tanya. The real me was just… hidden," I said and almost slapped myself. _The real me was just hidden? _What the hell was going on with me?!

Tanya also noticed this and let out a loud laugh, making me look around to see if anyone was staring at us. Anyone looking at us would think that we were having the time of our lives and then I would have to convince Bella that I was only standing uncomfortably while Tanya talked. Lucky for me, everybody seemed to be too entertained to pay attention on us.

"Look, Edward. I don't want what happened to change us. You're my friend Edward," Tanya said and I fought the urge to cover her mouth and shut her up. Not only she showed up in my parents' house unannounced, but now she was bringing up things that should remain buried in the past.

"Don't mention that ever again, Tanya," I growled lowly, trying not to look as tense as I was feeling. "I'm serious."

"It's okay, we don't have to talk about that. We used to love each other and we parted on bad terms." She held my hand and I pulled away at the same moment that our hands touched. Tanya seemed to be genuinely upset, but there was no way I would hold hands with her when Bella was in the vicinity.

"Look, Tanya… I'm married, Bella is pregnant," I said forcefully to make Tanya see that nothing else would happen between us. She was my first love, but the ship has sailed long ago.

"I know, that's not what I want. When we dated, you used to be my best friend. I miss my best friend," she confessed and I felt my expression soften a bit. Maybe I could convince Bella that all Tanya wanted was to regain my friendship, maybe they could even become friends.

No, that was just wishful thinking; Bella wouldn't want to hang out with Tanya in a normal situation. I was sure that hormonal and pregnant Bella wouldn't even want to even spare Tanya a glance. My wife had already surprised me when she actually talked to Tanya instead of turning around and leaving.

"Friends, Tanya. That's all I can give you." I conceded, while running my hand through my hair nervously. She smiled brightly and I grinned a little. This was the exact same smile she showed me when I gave her a bracelet on our second anniversary.

Okay, remembering that was weird, but whatever. It didn't mean anything.

"Okay, friend, would you like to go out with me tomorrow for coffee?" My instinct was to say _no, I can't, _but her eyes had that pleading expression and I couldn't say no to someone when they were pleading- a little trait I'd inherited from mom. Besides, I had to find out what the hell she was doing and make sure that she would keep her mouth shut.

"Okay, you call me on my cell so we can figure something out," I said in an almost bored way and looked around, trying to locate Bella. She didn't look okay to me, so I had to check out if she was feeling better.

"I don't have your phone number," Tanya murmured, but I didn't really care. I felt bad for being so rude, but Bella needed me.

"Ask my mother later," I said and walked away, searching for Bella.

I hoped I wasn't making a mistake by agreeing to meet up with Tanya, but there was no way I would let her become all spiteful and give her the power to ruin my life.


	3. Friends and ex girlfriend

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me!**

**Chapter Three**

Bella

In my sleep-induced haze, I felt my body being lowered onto a mattress and my head hitting a fluffy pillow. I was home, but I had no idea how I'd gotten there. Everything Esme owned had a lavender scent, from her towels to her sheets. These pillows smelled like my shampoo, definitely fruity and not lavender at all. I opened my eyes and lifted my head a little, just enough to see Edward taking off my shoes. He saw that I had awakened and smiled gently.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, Bella. You should go back to sleep," Edward said while removing the ballerina flat from my left foot. After the task was completed, he got up and shrugged his blazer off, folding it and placing it on the chair. I would've rolled my eyes if I wasn't so confused and tired.

"Edward, what are we doing here? We were at your mother's party, like ten minutes ago." I cried, feeling the fog of sleep lift off a little. Edward chuckled and walked to the bed.

"I wouldn't say ten minutes ago, Bella. Now, arms up," he requested while extending his arms. I pulled the hem of my dress up, and Edward lifted the piece of clothing over my head. "I'm going to get you something to wear, okay?" Before I could answer, he rushed to the walk- in closet to get me a t-shirt, leaving me in just bra and panties. If I wasn't so tired, I would have had naughty thoughts.

"Is the Dartmouth shirt okay?" Edward asked from inside the closet. I was sure that he had grabbed the first piece of clothing that was sleep appropriate. He never really ventured into my side of the closet and probably didn't know where things were.

"It's fine," I said and pulled the blanket to cover me. It was a typical cold January day in New York and not even our powerful, top quality heater was enough to keep the penthouse warm and toasty the way I liked.

"Here." He handed me the oversized shirt, and I quickly put it on, enjoying being covered up again. Small things were enough to make me happy these days and apparently a warm t-shirt was one of them.

"Are you sure that you're going to be warm enough?" Edward asked with a raised eyebrow, going into concerned mode as usual. "I'm cold and you know I never feel cold." He put on his pajama pants and sat on the edge of the bed by my side.

It was true. Edward rarely felt cold while I was really sensitive to any temperature changes. So if he was feeling cold, it meant that I was almost freezing.

"Well, there's something…." I trailed off and his lips curled in a naughty smirk, and I realized that my small request had sounded wrong. Well, not wrong but I just didn't have the energy to have sex with my husband right now. "Down boy," I said in a laugh when I felt his hand on my thigh.

"Really, Bella, you'll kill me someday." He stopped moving his hand but didn't remove it from my thigh."What do you need? Hot chocolate, cookies?"

"I'm going to go easy on you today, okay? I just need my toe socks and I'll be super warm," I informed him with a bright smile and pointed to the pair of knitted socks that were on my chaise lounge.

"Of course you want your toe socks," he mumbled while getting up, and I concealed a giggle.

"You didn't tell me how we got here." I remembered, taking the socks from his hand and putting them on my feet. I wriggled my toe fingers happily, and Edward laughed before pecking me on the forehead.

"You're such a baby." He got under the covers, and I nestled my feet in between his legs like I always did.

"Tell me what happened," I pleaded before yawning. Edward pulled me closer and started threading his fingers through my hair.

"Nothing happened, Bella. Alice told me you had a headache so she gave you a Tylenol, and you fell asleep. Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well? I hate when you lie to me about these things," Edward said in a serious voice. I knew I was busted. I wanted to hate Alice for telling Edward, but I couldn't. After all, I knew she was too concerned with me to remember that I told Edward I was feeling fine.

Note to self: I needed to buy Alice breakfast because she was nice and took care of me.

"I didn't want to worry you. I felt dizzy and nauseous and all I needed was to lie down for a minute. I'm sorry, okay?" I kissed him between each word of my apology. After three kisses, Edward seemed to be willing to forget what happened and to accept my apology, which was a good thing. I really didn't want to be scolded like a three year old again.

"I'm going to forgive you this time, but the next time you feel sick, please tell me. I want to be there for you, Bella," he murmured and started covering my face with butterfly kisses while caressing my stomach.

"I'll tell you next time. Pinky swear." I held out my pinky finger, and Edward entwined his finger with mine.

"Bella…do you want to discuss what happened tonight?" he asked hesitantly while tracing his hand up and down my back, making me sigh in pleasure. I knew he was talking about Tanya being back, but I didn't want to deal with it now, so I went into clueless mode.

"I slept through the party your mom threw for us and now I have to call her and send her an 'I'm sorry card'" I said and realized that I really needed to send Esme that card. She had gone through all the work of organizing a party for us, and I slept in the guest room while a violinist was playing downstairs.

"No, Bella, I'm talking about Tanya.I know you don't like her…." he started to say, but I put two fingers on his lips to stop him from talking, so I could do the talking myself.

"Please, let's not talk about this right now, okay?" I went to move my fingers away, but Edward held them where they were and started kissing them. When I saw that he was about to open his mouth to lick them, I quickly retrieved my fingers back. I knew that the whole finger licking would start foreplay, and I was too tired to have sex.

"Okay, we'll talk when you're ready, I guess." He conceded and circled his arms around my waist, making our bodies become closer and that was when I felt comfortable and warm. "Good night, honey." Edward extended an arm to turn off the light.

"Good night."

* * *

I chuckled at something that was said on the television while rubbing some of that super expensive La Mer body cream on my stomach. Jessica Stanley, one of my classmates and now, unfortunately, one of my workmates, told me that I should be very careful with stretch marks. Of course, her tone was cynical at the time. Usually, I wouldn't have cared about what she said. However, I was so mad at the time that I went straight to Bergdorf Goodman to buy the damn cream.

"Why are you up so bright and early in the morning?" Edward asked, coming from behind me and circling his hands around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his hot breath hitting the side of my neck.

"I'm going to have breakfast with Alice," I told him, while I dipped two fingers inside the small jar to get some cream.

"My first day off in a long time, and you're leaving me alone?" He whined a little and nipped my earlobe to distract me. Alice may be patient and understanding, but she would not have been happy if I had bailed on her. After all, I was the one who invited her. "You know your sister, sweetheart. She'd kill me if I canceled." I started to rub the cream on my thigh and felt Edward's breathing get a little erratic. Guys were so easy to tease that it was ridiculous. Not that I was teasing him.

"Alice wouldn't kill you, she'd kill me," he whispered silkily, and I closed my eyes for a minute. His hands went down from my stomach to my legs. "Who in their right mind would kill you right now?"

"You act like you didn't grow up with the woman, honey. Besides, it's breakfast time." My voice faltered a little bit because one of Edward's hands started to caress my right breast over the satin white bra. I let him twist my nipple before jumping slightly. Edward immediately took one step backwards, looking at me with concerned eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently, afraid that he had hurt me. I smiled while biting my lip, and he raised an eyebrow as if saying 'tell the truth, Bella'.

"They're a little sensitive," _and much bigger _I added mentally while pointing to my breasts. A few weeks before, they were so swollen that they were almost killing me. After all, I was used to having small breasts and now that I had these huge things, it took some adjustment.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Edward approached me again and kissed the corner of my mouth.

"I tend to forget about them. They only bother me if I mess with them." I shrugged my shoulder before closing the La Mer cream jar and putting it on my beauty cabinet. I grabbed a brush and walked to him again. "You're a doctor. You don't have to be concerned with every little change happening with my body."

"You forget that I'm not a doctor in this situation. I'm the father and husband, so I'm entitled to act like that." He smiled cheekily and I made a face.

"I love you, but I don't have time for that right now. We can play all you want when I get back, okay?" I placed my hands on his chest and started to push him out of the bathroom.

"Fine, fine. I'm going back to sleep since you don't want to give me any attention!" He laughed and walked back to our bedroom. I chuckled lowly when I heard him throw himself on the bed like a child. Some things would never change, and Edward would still act like a baby when he was ignored.

Thank God, I thought that was a cute thing.

* * *

"Bella!" I heard Alice's excited voice before I even saw her as soon as I entered the restaurant. Following the voice, I spotted her, sitting at the best table and accompanied by a beautiful blonde.

"Rosalie, what are you doing here? I thought you were in L.A. shooting a new campaign," I asked in surprise. Rosalie Cullen, Emmett's wife and one of my best friends, was now a fashion photographer since she retired from modeling.

"I was." She flipped her golden blonde hair and tipped the champagne flute to take a small gulp. I guessed it was never too early to drink champagne. "I have some things to work here and we were all finished. My co-workers just wanted to stay so they could go to night clubs or something like that," Rosalie answered, the hint of impatience in her voice making me grin. Sometimes, Rose just wasn't able to hide her feelings.

"You're talking like you don't like to go out, Mrs. Mature and Serious," Alice taunted, and I just couldn't hold my laughter anymore.

"Hey, there's a big difference! The guys I work with want to go out to get drunk and score while the girls are always waiting to spot someone famous. It's annoying as hell. Besides, I heard that there's a new bitch in town. As if we needed another one."

Rosalie didn't have the-ahem- pleasure of having known Tanya ever since she was fifteen, but the moment those two met, three and half years ago, right before my wedding, they didn't click and I was secretly pleased with that. I didn't want one of my best friends fraternizing with the enemy, after all.

"I know," I muttered before taking off my black leather gloves and shoving them inside my purse.

"Did you talk to her? Did you give her the 'don't come near my man, you bitch' look? Because I know I taught you that very well. God knows that I had practice," Rosalie said and I laughed. I still remembered how Rosalie threatened girls by using that look.

Unlike me, Rosalie had adapted very quickly to dating a Cullen man and wasn't afraid to scare away any girl that may have been eyeing her property. And trust me, there were many girls; Emmett was a built and handsome guy who just naturally captured female attention. Although I didn't have any firsthand knowledge, I had heard from Alice that Emmett wasn't opposed to dating as many girls as possible while he attended Columbia. So it was a complete surprise when he proposed to Rosalie after only six months.

"No, I didn't have enough time to give her that look. I wasn't feeling very well," I explained and Rosalie huffed; she was probably dreaming about a full blown catfight.

After a few minutes, the waiter arrived with our food, and I began eating my pancakes. When I was halfway through, Alice pushed a plate of omelet in my direction.

"Do you seriously expect me to eat that too?"

"Duh, you're eating for two, Bella," Alice answered and I felt a little embarrassed. Was it normal that I forgot about this sometimes? "So, continuing with the Tanya matter. I think we should find out why she's here. Oohh, we could put Secret Spying Program into action again!"

Rosalie and Alice's Secret Spying Program had been put into action a few years ago when Emmett started to work late too often, and Rosalie suspected he was cheating. He wasn't and their little program was canceled. I knew that they could actually have fun this time, but I didn't want their hobby to see the light of the day again. It would only give me headache. Besides, I didn't want to think that Edward was cheating.

"No, none of that again, please. I just want to ignore Tanya and hope she leaves soon," I told them and received incredulous looks in response.

"Bella, you can't do that! Tanya won't leave. She'll continue being here, hoping that Edward will look her way!" Rosalie cried, bumping her fists on the table, forcefully conveying her opinion.

"I don't know if she'll be that pathetic, but I don't think she'll leave soon, Bella." Alice had that concerned look on her face that I didn't want to see.

"Listen, whatever you decide to do, we'll back you up, okay?" Rosalie said in an unusually kind voice and Alice nodded. Just that little thing was enough to make the tears start pooling in my eyes. "Bella, we didn't mean to make you cry!"

"Oh, no, it's okay. You are wonderful friends. That's all." Alice handed me the ivory linen napkin, and I gently dabbed the corners of my eyes, even though that wasn't enough and the tears kept falling. "Don't worry, everything makes me cry these days. It's a little annoying, actually."

"I think it's adorable," Alice piped in, and I had to roll my eyes. "You're having a baby, even though the bump isn't big enough." My hands went automatically to my stomach with her words. It was rounded and it felt big enough to me.

"Well, I like it that way. Maybe it'll show more when I'm in my second trimester. You know I'm helpless when it comes to pregnancy and babies. Edward bought me _What to Expect when You're Expecting_, but I haven't read it yet."

"Bella, we should go shopping after this! Let's go to that baby boutique in Soho!" Alice looked so excited that one would think she was the pregnant woman. I knew that Alice had wanted to be a mother for some time, but she was trying to start her own clothing line before starting a family with Jasper.

"I don't know. I promised Edward I would come back and-" I started saying, but Rosalie huffed loudly and interrupted me.

"Please don't be one of those women who blow off their friends for their husbands!"

"Hey, you used to blow us off all the time!" I exclaimed, waving a finger between Alice and me. "Remember that time when we agreed to throw a sleepover so we could feel like teenagers again? You said to count you in and when we called you, you said 'oh, by the way, I won't be able to make it, because I'm in Vegas with Emmett!'" Rosalie flinched a little and I grinned.

"Emmett needed to go to Vegas to check a construction, and he asked me to go with him." She tried to justify, but it didn't work four months ago and it wouldn't work now.

"Jasper had to go too, and I said no when he asked," Alice said in a smug voice, and Rosalie huffed again, giving up on the subject.

Jasper and Emmett met when they were both attending architecture school at Columbia. I wasn't there to see it, but from what Edward told me, the two hit it off immediately and even started sharing an apartment in their sophomore year. When we all came from Dartmouth to New York for Emmett's graduation, Alice met Jasper and believed she saw her soul mate in him and against all expectations, Emmett's head didn't explode. He was the protective big brother, after all. That was when Jasper realized that if Emmett could get over the fact that he was dating Emmett's baby sister, they had passed the friendship test. Then, they opened an architecture firm together. We were all surprised that Emmett would want to take such a high risk, but it paid off when they landed a construction job in Las Vegas.

"Whatever." Rosalie knew she couldn't argue with us about that anymore and decided to change the subject. "So, about that baby boutique?" I grinned and took a gulp from my orange juice.

"Nice save, Rose."

* * *

Edward

It was 11:00 A.M. on a Saturday and because today was one of my rare days off from work, I should be sleeping until afternoon. However, my little moment with Bella before she left to have breakfast with my sister got me so worked up that I couldn't get back to sleep. So, I was now in my office reading a hematology book. I knew that reading a medical book was a little weird because any other normal person would be watching a movie or even playing videogame, but I needed to brush up on my knowledge.

My cell phone started to ring, and I looked at the display only to see _unknown number_. I frowned, wondering if it was a different number from the hospital, so I picked up.

"Edward Cullen," I greeted in a formal tone, and the person on the other line giggled. I knew that giggle. What the hell? "Tanya, why are you calling me?"

"Edward, you agreed to go out for coffee with me, remember?" she asked in what I thought was a disappointed voice, and I rolled my eyes. I wasn't some heartless man who didn't care about other people's feelings, but I only agreed to meet up with Tanya because I wanted to leave, and she wouldn't let me go.

"Oh, yeah. Don't you think I can get a rain check on that one? I'm busy right now," I said and began shuffling through some papers that were on my desk, hoping, in a ridiculous way that she would be able to hear the noise and understand that I couldn't go out with her.

"Edwaaardd, don't lie to me. Your mother told me you have the day off today!" She whined and I looked at the phone with an incredulous expression. Did she seriously whine? Like the way she used to do when we were sixteen and she begged me to go see some crappy movie. Really?

When my mental ramble was over, I considered calling my mother, asking her why she would tell Tanya the truth instead of some coming up with a small lie that would let me off the hook. To tell the truth, I was kind of surprised that mom would actually give Tanya my number. But then again, Tanya could be very persuasive.

"It's fine, Tanya. Where are you staying? I can meet up with you in half an hour." My voice wasn't the most excited, but I didn't mind. I was just doing this because I wanted to tell Tanya there was nothing between us anymore and assure myself that she would keep her mouth shut.

"I'm staying at the Waldorf, but-" she started saying, but I cut her off, anxious to finish the conversation.

"I'll get ready and meet you there."

"There's no need for that, Edward. I'm heading over. Your mom also gave me your address. I can come up and wait for you to get dressed." Even though her tone held no malice, I didn't think it would be wise to let Tanya inside the penthouse. Especially because Richie, our concierge, could casually comment to Bella that one of our friends was here and that wouldn't be pretty.

"No! Look, I'll get dressed in five minutes. Just wait, okay?"

"I'm about to take a cab. What do you want me to do?"

"Stay there. I'm coming over," I ordered without thinking and to my surprise, Tanya didn't argue.

"Okay, see you soon!" She exclaimed and ended the call. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

I just wanted to get this over with.

* * *

I once heard my baby sister saying that when guys were all dressed up, it meant that they were trying to impress a girl. I didn't want to give Tanya the wrong impression, so I made sure I wasn't dressed up at all. I didn't look homeless, but nothing said casual like jeans, a sweatshirt, and a warm winter coat. Of course, my hair was messy as usual.

The Waldorf Astoria Hotel was also on Park Avenue, but it was a little far from home, so I decided to take a cab instead of walking. As I predicted, Tanya was waiting for me in the lobby wearing a coat over a dress and almost shivering from the cold. She was still caught up with the California weather.

"Edward, there you are!" She called out when she saw me and quickly walked toward me. "I thought you blew me off."

Hey! I knew I hadn't been the most polite person to Tanya, but I was a gentleman. If I told her I'd be there, I meant that I'd be there.

"I wouldn't do that, Tanya. Shall we go?" I asked and turned around to leave with Tanya walking next to me. "You wanted to get some coffee, right?" She nodded and rubbed her hands together as soon as we came into contact with the cold winter air.

"Sure, that's okay."She nodded with a small smile.

"Come on, there's a good coffee shop near here." I tried to hide my grin when I said coffee shop and left out the part where coffee shop was a substitute for Starbucks. Tanya Denali and Starbucks didn't match. At all.

"Oh, that's great!"

We walked for another ten minutes, and I stopped at the Starbucks' sign. Tanya looked at it in a confused way, with her lips pressed in a tight line, but trying to hide it. I knew that amusing was the right word to describe the situation.

"Starbucks?" she asked lowly, as if she couldn't believe that I'd even consider bringing her there. When we dated, I'd always comply with her requests, so we always went to rather refined places for teenagers because she wanted to go.

"You said you just wanted a coffee, and I wasn't lying when I said I was busy, Tanya." As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them; they weren't very amiable, and she didn't give me a reason to treat her badly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

She shook her head and waved it off with a hand. It was my time to look surprised .That wasn't the Tanya I knew.

"We can go in and you can tell me about your life as a resident. Come on." She took a step toward the door, and I thought that her sudden interest to enter the place had something to do with the fact that she was freezing cold in the clothes she was wearing.

The place was surprisingly empty and calm with some people typing away on their laptops and others sharing quiet conversations. I didn't know if I was supposed to be disappointed or pleasantly surprised. At first, I figured that if I took Tanya to a busy Starbucks, she would get so annoyed that we would have to leave without actually talking. It looked like my plan fell short.

"Why don't you go sit down, and I'll get the drinks. What would you like to drink?" I asked politely, figuring that since I would have to talk to her anyway, it could be a pleasant conversation.

"I just want a tall Caramel Macchiato with nonfat milk, please."

"Do you want something to eat? Banana bread or muffin?"

"Yeah, banana bread is fine, Edward."

I placed our orders and after five minutes, I walked back to the table, carefully holding the two hot beverages and the banana bread.

"Here, let me help you." Tanya grabbed her drink to help me, and I sent her a thankful look. "So, we should talk."

I nodded and pulled the chair to sit down.

"We should talk." I acknowledged and blew on my drink, not caring if I looked like a sissy while doing that.

"I just wanted to say that I want to be your friend, Edward. We were once friends, and I don't want the past to stop us from having a friendship again," Tanya declared and I meticulously analyzed her facial expression. I was looking for any indication that she wasn't telling the truth and I couldn't find anything.

"It's not that I don't want to be your friend, but I want to make things clear. I'm married to Bella, and we're going to have a child. What happened in the past has to stay in the past, do you understand?" I was a little forceful, but I just wanted Tanya to be clear about what I was saying.

"I know and that's another thing I wanted to tell you. Don't worry about me blabbering my mouth; I'm not going to tell anyone what happened." She gave me a gentle smile and I smiled back, but it was because I was just feeling relieved.

"Thanks. There are some things I really don't need coming back into my life," I said and took a big gulp of my coffee. We should've done this in a bar and then I could drink whiskey.

"I also agree, Edward. Past remains in the past, right? Now, please tell me about your residency," she gently bit the banana bread, and I smiled again.

This new Tanya seemed to be an improved one with one better asset: she didn't seem to want to ruin my marriage.

Thank God, she wasn't acting like a vindictive bitch.

**-tbc-**

**A/N: I know, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long, loong time. Real life just caught me and I didn't have time to even think about what I was going to write. The next chapter is done, it just needs to be beta'd. A big thank you to Project Team Beta!**


	4. The Wild Brunch

**A big thank you to Project Team Beta!**

**Chapter Four: The Wild Brunch**

_Edward_

I entered the penthouse and put my coat inside the closet before walking to the living room. I almost jumped in surprise when I saw it. My big brother Emmett was sitting on my couch, reading a Sports Illustrated magazine with a bored expression.

"Ed, man! I already read this one, why didn't you get this month's issue?" Emmett looked at the object in disdain and threw it on the back on the couch while getting up.

"First, don't call me Ed and second, I didn't buy this month's issue because I didn't even have time to read last month's. What are you doing here?" I ran a hand through my hair and sat down on a chair.

"Rose went out for breakfast with the girls and I was finishing the project for that TriBeCa building and then I thought: what's better than talking to my little brother? I know for sure he's in desperate need of some advice." He raised his chin, looking like the proud big brother he claimed to be. Emmett was right, but I wasn't going to tell him that. He already liked to play the psychologist enough to need another incentive.

"I'm sure you thought about that and the fact that Liana is here today and she can prepare something nice for you to eat."

Emmett's face lit up as he nodded, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was only here to get fed. I rolled my eyes at him, already used to this type of behavior from him.

"Oh, thank you man! Rosalie was in L.A. and I so busy with the damn project that I all I had to eat was takeout. Mom went to my house one day and almost passed out when she saw there wasn't practically anything in the pantry." Emmett chuckled and I could tell he was remembering the little incident.

"But of course, she sent you something, right?" I don't know why Emmett was being such a drama queen, mom must've taken care of him just fine.

"Yes, but by then, my situation was already shitty. Liana makes that amazing lobster spaghetti with garlic bread and I just go to heaven…" He closed his eyes and his lips curled in a smile.

"Don't let Rosalie hear you say that." I said and he nodded. Rosalie really tried to make a nice housewife, cooking for Emmett and stuff, but since she was always so busy with her work- a steady photographer position in a magazine and as a freelancer- she never had the time to perfect her housewife qualities.

"I know. So Edward, would you please allow me to go to heaven?" he pleaded with a pout and I frowned.

"No. Please don't ever say that ever again, I'm serious. Someone could easily misinterpret that and that would be just gross." I shuddered and my face took a disgusted expression, which made Emmett let out his booming laugh.

"Oh man, you should've seen your face. I thought you were going to barf or something!" Emmett put a hand on his stomach, taking deep breaths to calm himself and I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, Emmett could be so over the top that it was ridiculous.

"Whatever. It's still early for lunch, so what do you want to do?" I asked while bending down to take off the Nike sneakers I was wearing. When all I got was silence instead of an answer, I looked up and saw that Emmett had a pleading expression on his face, the one he used on mom when he was trying to eat a chocolate chip cookie before dinner. Nobody was immune to that look and I could tell he wanted something.

"Did Bella put away the Xbox?" he commented in a curious voice, but I knew he was doing more than wondering. A few months ago, Bella confiscated the Xbox and all the games because she believed that I was starting to get a little too.. excited about playing with Emmett and Jasper, which wasn't entirely true.

It was true that we played Halo weekly and even started to bet money on the games, but that didn't mean we were addicted to playing Xbox. Not that Bella had listened when I said that. She actually hid the console from me and refused to tell me where it was even after a month.

"Yeah, but I found out where she hid it," I said in a low tone, almost afraid that someone would hear me and tell Bella.

I was being stupid, but you could never be too careful these days.

"So, are you game?" He had that crazy competitive glint on his eyes and I wondered if Rosalie had also hidden his video game. Nah! If that happened, he would've come whining to me and saying that it was my fault that Bella took the Xbox, inspiring Rosalie to do the same. Besides, Emmett had gotten pretty good at manipulating people just by saying that he was an artist and needed inspiration.

"Yeah, I'm game." It would be fun to play with my big bro instead of trying to mull things over and almost blow my head trying to figure out what happened with Tanya.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked and I felt like slapping myself for being so stupid and actually thinking so hard about earlier. My brother was one of the few people who could read me like a book and I absolutely hated that even a small wrinkle on my forehead was enough for Emmett to know that something was wrong with me.

"Nothing," I answered a little too quickly and that made Emmett get even more suspicious.

"Just start talking, man. You know you'll have to sometime," he said and I sighed, running my hands through my hair. I had to confide this in someone, right? Who could be better than my brother?

"Today, I went out for coffee with…Tanya," I confessed, saying her name with some difficulty.

"You what?!" Emmett's voice got considerably louder and I almost jumped at him to shut his mouth. "Are you kidding me? What the hell you were doing with Tanya, man?"

"It's nothing like that that, Em! I just wanted to tell her that I'm married to Bella and make sure she doesn't expect anything from me romantically!"

"Edward, what are you going to tell Bella? That you went out for coffee with your ex girlfriend? You know she hates Tanya." Hearing Emmett say that only made wonder why in the hell I accepted to go out for coffee with Tanya. It seemed innocent in my head, but when he said it out loud, it sure seemed like another thing.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anything to Rosalie, who's certainly going to tell Bella," I tried to be nice, but also forceful so Emmett would know what he wasn't supposed to do.

"Edward, you're not a teenager anymore, man. You're a husband who's about to be a father and I don't want you to screw up your life for a relationship you had so many years ago." I pinched the bridge of my noise, letting his words sink in before retorting.

"I know that, Emmett, but Tanya has honestly changed. She told me she regretted the way she broke it off with me and now all she wants is my friendship. Look, Em, I wouldn't have even gotten close to her if I thought she wanted something more than being friends." I told him honestly. Emmett gave me a warning expression. Damn, I hated that look.

"If that's what you think," he said and I knew he was choosing not to voice his opinion anymore so we wouldn't continue arguing.

"It's what I know, Emmett. So, do you feel like playing Halo today? Bella is going to kill me if she sees us with the Xbox." Emmett didn't look very impressed, so I tried to add one more detail. "And she's going to throw the videogame away." It worked, my brother looked horrified and he quickly nodded.

"Are we going to place bets? I only have twenties." He reached for his wallet and silently began counting the money.

"It's fine, we don't need to play for money," I casually answered, predicting his future reaction.

Three, two, one.

"Why don't you want to play for money? You always want to play for money." Emmett wrinkled his forehead in a confused/suspicious way and I sighed. Being the brother of someone who made competition a hobby was not an easy thing.

"You said you only had twenty dollar bills and I said okay. I don't have a secret agenda going on here, Emmett!" I said, but my brother just wasn't convinced.

"Oh, no, we're going to play for money now, mister. And you're so going down!" He turned around to walk to the other room. I just shook my head and followed him.

Emmett was so consumed by that little competitive monster, he didn't even notice that I had just played him.

* * *

"Well, thanks for lunch," Emmett grumbled, even though I could tell he was more than pleased with the lunch we just had. He was just annoyed that I beat him at Halo, something that didn't happen very often. "I need to go now, Rose is probably at home and ready to start calling me."

I opened my mouth to make a remark about how Rosalie had Emmett wrapped around her fingers, but I knew that he was too bummed about his loss and he wouldn't take the joke very lightly.

"Okay. Do you want me to walk you out?" I asked out of politeness and not because it was really necessary to do it. After all, Emmett had been here a million times before.

"No, I'm fine. Look, don't forget about tomorrow, okay?" Emmett reminded me of the brunch his architecture firm was throwing to celebrate their newest big project in the city. I opened my mouth to tell him something, but I decided it would be better to leave it alone. Emmett would find out tomorrow anyway.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'll be there, don't worry." My voice was a little bored, but inside, I was feeling really proud of my big brother. Nobody ever imagined that the playboy who loved to party would grow up to be such a responsible adult.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later." He turned around and left, softly closing the door. I went to lock the door before starting to count the crisp twenty dollar bills I had received from Emmett. One, two, three, four…I got tired when it reached five and just went through the money. Then I could tell why Emmett was so bummed; I just won two hundred dollars because I beat him at his favorite game. After I counted the money, I put it inside my front pocket. Bella would be too suspicious if she saw the money.

"Good afternoon, my husband!" I heard her chime in that excited voice. Speaking of the devil…

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cullen. Why did you abandon me for so long?" I tried to be suave, but my voice came out whiny.

"We went to Greenwich Village and got caught up." That was when I really saw Bella, holding shopping bags with difficulty.

"Bella!" I made my way to her in long strides, a little afraid that she'd fall or something like that. I quickly took the bags from her. "Why didn't you ask Richie to carry them for you?"

She gave me one of the sheepish smiles she had already perfected in the last three years and I couldn't help but let my lips curve in a small grin. My little wife was so adorable.

"I forgot. But don't worry, they're not heavy. It's mostly clothes and small toys." Bella shrugged her shoulders and started to take off her coat, throwing it on a chair nearby. "Oh, my feet hurt!" she whined, moving to sit on the powder blue chaise longue mom gave us a couple years ago. That was when I noticed that she was wearing one of those high heeled pumps that she had previously dubbed as 'extremely uncomfortable'.

"Look at what you're wearing honey, of course your feet hurt," I chuckled and kneeled down, carefully sliding a grape colored shoe from her foot. "You can't wear these anymore, remember?" Bella made a noise and lifted the foot that was still with the shoe to examine it.

"But they're Louboutins and so pretty!" Bella said in a girly voice, probably trying to convince herself that her pretty shoes were worth all the pain. I quickly took off the other shoe so she wouldn't have to think about it anymore. High heeled pumps were uncomfortable for any woman, but it was just crazy to wear them while pregnant with swollen feet. Luckily, her feet weren't swollen today.

"You can't, baby. But I promise you can buy lots of them in a few months, after the baby is born," I crooned, leaning down to kiss the top of her foot. She smiled and her head bobbed in a happy nod. "I missed you this morning." Bella raised my chin so she could give me a through kiss.

"It's nice to know that. Even though I know you didn't miss me too much because Emmett was here, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, you just missed him. But how do you know that?" I had a suspicion that needed to be confirmed. Bella raised her eyebrows, clearly not understanding why I was so 'curious'.

Richie told me," she said slowly, trying to see if I was going to retort her answer. Of course I didn't.

I was too busy mentally confirming that our concierge was indeed a gossiper. Thank God I didn't let Tanya come to the building earlier. I wasn't close to being ready to explain to Bella why I agreed to meet up with my ex girlfriend for coffee. It wasn't like I could tell Bella my real motives.

"Did you have lunch?" I asked her, ready to see that curious look on her face go away. My wife had a way with words and I always ended up doing whatever she wanted me to included telling her a secret I needed to keep.

"Yeah, I had a turkey sandwich," Bella answered, shrugging her shoulders as if that wasn't a big deal. Somehow, she managed to realize that I would go into my protective mode in a few seconds and quickly started to talk again. "We had a big breakfast, Edward. Neither of us could eat more than a sandwich."

She had a point, but I wasn't going to let it slide so easily.

"I understand that. However, Alice and Rosalie are not eating for two, are they?" Instead of rolling her eyes, Bella gave me a bright and pleased smile. "What?"

"Nothing. I just love when you say these little things and try to take care of me. Without being too protective, of course. You can go a little maniacal sometimes." She ran her hand through my hair and pulled on it in a playful manner I moaned, thinking that the gesture couldn't be categorized as playful anymore.

"Is someone getting a little excited?"

I was more than a little excited, but I didn't need to tell her that. Bella knew me more than enough to recognize my moods. I just raised my upper body so I could lock my lips with hers.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" I murmured against her skin, spraying small kisses on the side of her neck. "Liana is still here and I'm sure she doesn't want to see a show."

"Who wouldn't want to see you?" she whispered in a seductive voice.

Three words; what the hell? Bella was always careful with these things and there were times when she didn't even want to make out with me in fear of making the others uncomfortable.

"Who are you and what have you done to my wife?" I asked in an overly curious voice, making her let out a giggle.

"Oh, she'll be back in an hour or so. Do you want to make good use of the time we still have?" In an uncharacteristic move, she lowered her head and sunk her teeth on the place where my shoulder and neck met. I let out a low hiss when Bella started to soothe the place with her tongue. Weren't pregnant women supposed to be all lovey -dovey? I don't think this new side of my wife was what I considered mellow.

"You're starting to scare me, honey," I said in a low groan and Bella giggled again. Seriously, the high school girl giggle had to go soon, because I wouldn't be able to control myself any longer.

"Good scare or bad scare?" Her lips trailed up and were kissing a spot behind my left ear. Yes, the spot that made me squeal like a girl. Needless to say, I tried my hardest to groan and not squeal, but that took a lot of concentration.

"There is no bad with you," I said and tried not to cringe at how corny my words came out. However, Bella seemed to be pleased with them so I didn't say anything else. "Let's go upstairs," I repeated and moved to gather her in my arms.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to carry me?" Bella asked a little hesitant, looking down as if I was going to drop her any second. That was a small blow on my ego, of course. Just because I wasn't as strong as my brother, it didn't mean that I was a weak little thing. I mean, I did work out every time I got the chance and I had defined abs.

Oh God, I needed to mentally shut up now.

"Do you really think I would drop you?" I questioned, trying to make my voice sound upset. That instantly worked and Bella wrapped her tiny hands around my neck in a loving manner. I could tell she was a little scared of falling, but she didn't say anything else.

I moved through the room with some ease and quickly went upstairs, showing Bella that I wasn't as weak as she believed me to be. When we were inside our bedroom, I placed her on the bed and I almost ripped the clothes from her body. Bella was lying down, her messy brown hair was contrasting against the pale blue sheets.

Humm, I loved to see Bella and blue together, especially in occasions like these. Note to self: I needed to remind mom to buy sheets in every shade of blue. Sky blue, baby blue, navy blue…I knew Bella would look amazing on every one of them.

"What's wrong?" Bella's voice snapped me out from my erotic daze, bringing me to an even more erotic reality.

"Nothing, why?" I moved to lie next to her, my right hand coming up to caress her cheek. Bella smiled and closed her eyes, obviously enjoying my small gesture.

"You were frowning for a moment," she answered, tracing the invisible lines on my forehead. Even though I knew Bella for my whole life, it still amazed me how she was able to read me like an open book. Every time I was in deep thought or worried about something, I frowned and Bella had already caught it. "Oh no, you think I look fat, don't you?"

Her question was so absurd that I started to laugh. I figured that was a bad move when her eyes started to water and she began to sniff. Damn! Mom told me a few days ago that Bella would be all sensitive and stuff and I had to be careful with what I said. I figured that this task wouldn't be so hard, considering that I never had the habit of saying rude things around Bella. However, mom didn't say she wouldn't get upset with the non-rude things.

"Okay, what did I do now?"

"I just asked if I was fat and you laughed! What the hell am I supposed to think?" Bella wiped her tears and I couldn't help but smile. She was looking like a small, vulnerable child and I wrapped my arms around her body.

"I only laughed because what you suggested is absolutely ridiculous, Bella! You're only eleven weeks pregnant and barely showing!" I put a hand in the small space between our bodies and let my palm rest on her slightly rounded belly .

"Are you sure?" She was biting her bottom lip again in that sexy way and I felt goose bumps. Not that I'd ever admit it out loud. After all, I grew up with Emmett and he always said that goose bumps were reserved for girls only.

"Yes, I'm sure." I nodded my head and did my best for her not to notice my slight impatience.

"Good." That was all she said before pulling me down for a kiss. I made sure to put all my energy and effort into that kiss so she would forget about her insecurities and focus more on what we were trying to do here. Or on what _I _was trying to do.

"You smell so nice," I murmured after I smelled her hair and the skin of the side of her neck. "I missed you this morning."

"You already said that." She giggled, peppering small kisses on my face.

"Well, it's true." I shrugged my shoulders before pinning her down on the bed, firmly holding her wrists above her head. "Don't move them."

Bella giggled again and nodded.

Perfect.

_

* * *

__Bella_

I entered the room and gasped a little surprised. The decorations were neatly put together and it didn't look like it had anything to do with Emmett and Jasper. I was secretly expecting Emmett to insist that caged lions and tigers were absolutely necessary and Jasper to agree with him, but not before adding a few showgirls to the décor. Those two spent way too much time in Vegas, after all.

"Impressed?" Alice asked, coming behind me. I jumped in surprise a little, but apparently I was getting better at that, so I didn't jump as high as I did before. "Mom helped them with the decoration. She was the one who came up with the idea of using citrus fruits.

That was when I noticed the fruits and figured it made sense. Edward had told me that this project was really important because they were building a 'go green' edifice, one of the first in the area, and with that putting their names on the map. I just never imagined that they would make the decoration so literal.

"It's great. I'd never think about doing that." I pointed to a table that covered with a light green tablecloth and was adorned by a bouquet of cut and whole lemon, oranges, kiwis and some other citrus fruits that I wasn't able to recognize.

"Yeah, but you know mom. She's always two steps ahead of us."

"So, where are the hosts?"

"Jasper is talking to one of the investors and Emmett is somewhere with Rose." I smirked, already imagining what they were up to. They were kind of nymphos, even though Rosalie didn't want to admit that.

"Oh, wipe that smirk off, Bella! Rose had an emergency at work and came straight here. She almost died when she saw Emmett wearing jeans and sneakers." Alice's lips trembled and she started to giggle, probably remembering Rosalie's facial expressions.

"Jeans and sneakers?" I can imagine her reaction. Edward didn't like to wear formal clothing very much, but he always did it when necessary. Emmett, however had a knack for disobeying small rules.

"Yeah. She called someone to get him a blazer and a tie. But really, her face started to get red and that was when I couldn't watch anymore. I didn't want to get caught in the crossfire."

"Yeah, smart decision." I nodded my head. "Now, where can we get something to eat in this place?"

"Okay, pregnant lady, let's get you some scrambled eggs." Alice locked her arm with mine and began leading me to a table. I wasn't about to protest, my stomach was growling.

Emmett, properly dressed in a navy blue blazer and not wearing sneakers, and Jasper each quickly said a speech about how one of their ambitions was to be part of the construction of an environment friendly building, especially in a big city like New York and how happy they were that their work seemed to be paying off. Even though it was a little weird to see Emmett behave like the grown man he was instead of acting like an eighteen year old schoolboy who was only interested in banging chicks and getting drunk, I was actually proud of him. I was sure that Esme was bubbling with motherly pride, as she had begun to quietly shed some tears while Emmett was still talking.

"So, that's it, we hope you have a great time!" Emmett finished his speech and everyone clapped politely while Rosalie embraced him. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of them; differences and problems aside, it was plain obvious to everyone that they loved each other. Unfortunately, as soon as I turned my head to the side, I was greeted by a not so pleasant sight. Correction: it wasn't pleasant at all.

What were the odds of Tanya Denali being in the same party I was at in the same weekend? Apparently the chances were very high, because I certainly wasn't imagining her. How in the hell did she even get in? No, _who_ the hell invited her? As I angrily searched the room for suspects, my eyes caught my dear husband's ones and that was when I knew I had my answer.

Damnward.

I could feel my eyes narrowing on their own and I did nothing to stop them. Edward should know that I was fucking mad and that he needed to give me an explanation for whatever the hell was going on. I took a deep breath to calm down and put one hand on my slightly rounded stomach.

"Mommy is sorry, baby," I muttered while rubbing my belly. Edward made his way towards me and put his two hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay? I saw the way you were rubbing your belly and I thought that…" He started to ramble in a concerned tone, but I was having none of it. His concern for me didn't melt me down, quite the contrary, they just made me even angrier.

"Don't," I interrupted him, holding a hand up. "Why is Tanya Denali here?"

"Well…"He scratched the nape of his neck and that was _never_ a good sign. When Edward scratched the nape of the neck, it meant he was trying to think of a good answer to bullshit you, well, bullshit _me_. "It's a small island and she's friends with people from the Upper East society. Word gets around." He shrugged his shoulders.

I let him finish his sentence because I decided that today was a good day to pretend that I was polite, had manners, and all that crap. That was probably a bad idea, as I could feel the anger bubbling now. I touched the side of my mouth to check for foam. I wasn't foaming from my mouth yet, but that little expression Edward had on was capable of making me do that.

"You knew she was going to be here, didn't you?" I asked in a hiss. Anyone who took a closer look at us would be able to figure out that there was a fight building, but I couldn't keep up with the society girl act anymore. Of course it wouldn't be a full blown scandal, I loved Jasper and Emmett too much for this, but it would be something for the old socialites talk about at a dinner party. "Didn't you think it would be nice to give me the heads up and when did you even talk to her?"

"I talked to her on Friday, at the party. Remember when you excused yourself and left me there with her? We made small talk and she mentioned the brunch. I didn't tell you because I was hoping she wouldn't come. You would have been anxious for nothing if Tanya wasn't here."

His words made sense, just a little. But I didn't want him to make sense, I just didn't want him to ever talk to Tanya again.

"I still would have liked to know that she would be here. I just feel like an idiot."

"I'm so stupid, baby, I'm sorry." He fully embraced me as he apologized. From over his shoulder, I was able to see that the trying-to-be subtle looks and gossiping had already started and I didn't want to deal with that. I detangled myself from him, getting his two hands off my shoulders- not an easy task, by the way. Edward could be kind of forceful when he wanted to and at the moment, I could say he was trying to 'force' his apology on me.

"Look, I know that you were trying to protect me, but you have to remember that I'm your wife, not your child. You know that I don't enjoy surprises like that," I informed him and sighed when Edward's expression didn't seem to change. Except for one or two situations in our life together, as friends and as a couple, I usually forgave him right after he said he was sorry. It was obvious that he became a little 'spoiled' and didn't really understand why I wasn't willing to forgive him in the next ten seconds.

"What do you want me to do? I can ask Tanya to leave or I can talk to…" He rambled-again- and I didn't want to hear it. Again.

"Right now, what I really want to do is go back home and you to not follow me." Edward let his jaw drop in shock in a way that would've been funny if I weren't trying to control my anger. "I'm serious, I'm going home and I want you to stay here to support Japer and your brother. Really, I don't want you to ruin this for them," I said in a firm voice and wondered when I became so controlling and bossy. I wondered if I wasn't being too rash, but this was one of the few occasions when I was bold enough to stand up to him.

Needless to say, I was pumped with adrenaline and not really thinking straight anymore.

"Bella, are you sure that this is really necessary?" he asked, trying to reason me like he would with a three year old kid. I knew he hated when we fought..

"Yes, I think this is necessary. Put a smile on your face, I don't want anyone to think something is wrong." I hated the world of appearances we were living in, but there were times when I needed to keep it together for my family's sake. "I'll get a cab, don't worry about me."

Edward raised one hand to caress my face, silently asking me to reconsider my decision. I bit my bottom lip in hesitation before shaking my head to deny his request. Even though I felt like a coward for leaving again instead of talking to Tanya like a grown woman, I was feeling too stupid and a little humiliated to stay.

"Please do me a favor, tell everyone I wasn't feeling good and had to leave, okay?" I knew I should have manners and say goodbye to my family, but I wasn't up for answering all the questions that would be asked. Thank God that everyone who mattered to me was now fawning over Jasper and Emmett and not paying attention to us.

"I'm sorry," Edward whispered and placed a kiss on my cheek.

"I know you are."

But at that moment, being sorry wasn't enough for me.

_**A/N: Hey! You see, that was quicker than last time, wasn't it? I'm already writing the next chapter, so I hope I'll update in two or three weeks! Thanks much for your reviews! Feel free to leave me some love!**_


	5. The Aftermath

**Chapter Five: The Aftermath**

_Bella_

I was lying on the bed, wearing my silk robe over a set of simple cotton lingerie and feeling too tired to get up and put some more clothes on. Apparently, my morning sickness was unleashed by stress, so I spent thirty minutes bent over a toilet, feeling nauseous. Then I was able to take a warm shower and lie down without feeling like the world was spinning. That was why I didn't have the strength to properly dry my hair, and all I wanted to do was to watch the Heroes marathon.

The worst thing? I kind of preferred to feel sick, because at least I wouldn't have to think about Edward, Tanya and how stupid I was for leaving the brunch. I was confused that I believed that watching Sylar cut open everyone's heads could give me an epiphany and I would know what to do.

That didn't happen, and I was still feeling lost.

What was I supposed to do? Should I tell Edward that I was bothered with the fact that he knew Tanya would appear at the brunch and didn't tell me, or should I keep quiet? After all, Tanya didn't even live in the city; she would probably go back to California after a few weeks. Perhaps I should just suck it up and try not to stress myself anymore. I was almost through with my first trimester and fighting with Edward would not be beneficial at all.

However, seeing Tanya at the brunch wearing a Hervé Leger bandage dress that I was sure I couldn't fit into anymore, made me mad and upset beyond words. She was tall, had that amazing hair color, and great looks. In short, she was everything I wasn't. Sure, I was much better at not being a Klutzilla anymore, and I was able to walk in high heels, but Tanya looked like she belonged with that crowd. If I hadn't known that she was born in San Francisco, I would have said that she was part of New York royalty. Just like each one of the Cullens, except for me and probably Emmett.

That had always bothered me when I was younger. I always felt like one of those distant, poor relatives that had just met the rich part of the family. Especially in high school, when Alice and I bonded like sisters, and Edward was dating Tanya. While Alice used to wear her perfect Manolo Blahnik shoes, I wore my old pair of Chucks. I would notice people looking at me like I was Alice's charity case. That sucked

I was ready to go further the memory lane when I heard footsteps over the screams on the television. Damn, I thought I would have at least an extra hour without Edward. I was feeling too stupid for leaving the brunch, so it was safe to say I was a little ashamed of my behavior, and I didn't want to face him.

"Bella?" Edward opened the door slowly, as if he was afraid that I would bite off his head. Okay, I had been a little childish and over the top when I left the brunch, but I would throw a shoe or anything similar at him.

"Hey, how did everything go?" I decided to go with a cordial greeting instead of talking about the issue straight away. He frowned, clearly not expecting such calm behavior from me, but he didn't say anything.

"It was fine. Nothing really exciting happened." Edward took off his blazer and loosened the tie around his neck. He was about to say something else when he noticed my appearance and frowned. "Why is your hair all wet?" He knew I didn't have the patience to blow dry my hair every time I washed it, but I hated when it was wet.

"I just took a shower, that's all. I'm too tired to properly dry my hair." I could see from his expression that he was about to lecture me, so I grabbed the towel on the bed and started to lazily dry my hair. I looked up and gave him a look that clearly said 'happy now?'

"Thank you. I'm sure you don't want to catch a cold."

I opened my mouth to reply that I couldn't catch a cold because all the windows were closed and the heater was on, but I decided not to say anything. He took one step forward and sat on the edge of the bed.

Then there was a damn uncomfortable pause. I could tell Edward was trying to approach the subject without upsetting me. I had spent the last hour figuring out what I would say to him, so it would be better to make the first move.

"So, we should talk about what happened at the brunch." I turned off the television to make sure I wouldn't be distracted and turned to him. Edward cracked his knuckles loudly to relieve the tension. "I overreacted. It was wrong to leave like that."

His face softened the minute I admitted I had been wrong. He was probably relieved to know that I wouldn't start picking a fight with him.

"I'm sorry about what happened, and I'm sorry you got so upset, but I did what I thought was best," he said, and I sighed in frutration. Edward was a great husband and friend, but could be so damn stubborn.

"I get that you were trying to protect me, but I just felt stupid when I saw Tanya there."

"You don't need to feel stupid. Besides, nobody here knows about my past relationship with Tanya, so you don't have to worry about gossip or anything."

"That's not the point, Edward." I let out my second sigh in five minutes and I slumped on the pillows. "I don't care about the socialites gossiping about us. I care about us, worry about us!"

"You worry about us? What the hell does that mean?" he demanded and I rolled my eyes. _So much for being the man who was always in control_. "You clearly want to tell me something. Now would be a good time to do it."

That was my cue.

"I'm afraid that Tanya will come between us." I practically vomited the words, hoping Edward wouldn't understand. Because I was _very lucky_, Edward had a bionic ear, and he was able to make out what I was saying.

Damn.

"Bella, that's absurd. How would Tanya come between us?" I could tell he was trying his best to stay calm, but his hand was twitching like crazy. What the hell, did he drink a gallon of coffee before coming home? Only that could explain why he was almost bouncing off the walls.

"I don't know. You tell me," I muttered without looking at him in the eye. I knew I should have kept quiet. Now, Edward was looking at me like I was this crazy jealous sixteen year old girl.

"There is no way she is coming between us. Yes, I dated her when I was sixteen, but we're adults now, Bella." He moved closer to me, and with our faces only inches apart, I could notice the faint smell of scotch on his breath. I frowned because Edward only drank scotch when he was upset.

"Adults make mistakes too, you know?" I whispered and leaned forward, making our foreheads touch. The proximity made me feel a little dizzy, so I placed my hands on his shoulders to steady myself. "I don't want to lose you."

"Baby, haven't you heard? You're stuck with me." He joked with a smile, but I didn't return it. I knew I was acting like an insecure little girl, but I didn't care. I just needed to get some reassurance.

"Edward, I know it's stupid, but I hate that Tanya's here. I'm scared she'll try to get you back or something like that. She's this perfect and gorgeous woman, and I'm just your bloated wife who has morning sickness." I was rambling. I knew it, but it was good to finally tell him what I was really feeling. Edward kissed my forehead and kept his lips against my skin to calm me.

"Bella, you're not bloated. You're pregnant with our baby, remember? A piece of me _and _a piece of you. Not only that, but I love you so much it's ridiculous," he said, peppering my face with kisses and lacing our fingers together. "Tanya is not a threat."

"What if she decides she wants you? You're a great catch."

Edward chuckled again, and I wondered if he wasn't taking me seriously.

"You already caught me. I'm not on the market. Besides, it takes two to tango. If Tanya decides she wants me, which won't happen, I'll just say no. We dated a long time ago, Bella. We're very different people now." I closed my eyes and pondered Edward's words. He was right, whatever he had with Tanya was in the past, and I couldn't keep thinking that my husband would leave me because his ex girlfriend was close to us again.

"I still don't like her."

"You never liked her; I don't expect you to start now. Believe it or not, Tanya isn't a bad person." He reached for my towel to finish the task of drying my hair. "She's not the devil incarnate like you and Alice make her."

"I don't think she's the devil; I just think she's a woman with ulterior motives, that's all."

Edward stopped what he was doing and stared at me.

"Are you still upset?"

"A little. I just hate that someone who was so important to you is staying in the same neighborhood and goes to same events we do."

"Compared to you and what we have, Tanya is nothing. I want you to always remember that." His voice left no room for doubt and the reverential tone rendered me speechless for a few seconds. "However, you can't leave a party every time she enters. We're not in high school anymore. I'm not saying that you have to become friends, but you have to make an effort. Tanya will probably go back to L.A. or Europe in a few weeks."

"Okay, I'll be as nice as possible. I promise." I raised my right hand like I was about to testify. Edward smiled, and I could tell that he was much more relaxed now that I wasn't mad anymore.

"Are we okay now?" he asked with a small pout. Oh, I hated how that pout was able to convince me to do almost anything.

"For now. Every time I get angry, I start chucking up everything. Because I'm in no mood to kneel by the toilet, I'll be nice. Just this time."

"I won't mess things up again," Edward promised in a solemn voice. I lied down again and sighed in relief. Our stupid fight was over, and I didn't even have to slap him, after all.

Edward looked down at me with concern. "Are you feeling okay?" He started to caress my thigh in a comforting manner.

"I'm just really tired. There's a baby in here, remember?" I pointed to my stomach. "I'm always tired these days. I hate it."

Edward chuckled a little at the pained expression I was wearing.

"Aww, I'm sorry you're feeling that way." He leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"It's not your fault," I said and paused to think about my statement. "Actually it is your fault, but as you've already realized, I'm pretty forgiving today." I pulled him down by the neck again and started to spray small kisses on his face. "Love you."

"Love you too, baby." Edward cradled my head between his hands and moved closer to kiss me. For some reason, this particular kiss was so deep that I was breathless after five seconds. Unsurprisingly, Edward noticed that, so he put a small distance between our faces. "Who knew I could still take the breath from you?"

"You're still a pretty boy, Edward. Don't doubt that." I grinned when he frowned at my words.

"I just _love_ when you call me a pretty boy," he said sarcastically, causing me to let out a loud laugh. "This can really break my confidence, you know?"

I snorted in a very unladylike way. There was probably no way that Edward would have any confidence issues. After all, the guy had been on the 'Manhattan Society's Eligible Bachelors' list, and we were already engaged at the time.

"Tell me what I can do to make you feel very, very confident," I drawled, opening the buttons of his white shirt slowly. As I had previously muted the television, the only sound in the room was our deep breathing. When his shirt was unbuttoned, I pushed it off his shoulders and let it fall on the bed.

"I can think of a thing or two." Edward untied the sash of my robe and practically smiled when he saw my matching bra and boyshorts, white with pink dots. Those were much more comfortable than the sexy La Perla and Cosabella lacy thongs I had.

"Do you like it?" I asked with an innocent voice. My inner sex goddess was proud of me at the moment.

Edward didn't answer the question right away, preferring to lean down and suck on the side of my neck.

"I fucking love it," he growled, making me shiver again. I liked polite and chivalrous Edward, but there was nothing hotter than my sweet husband doing dirty talk. "Ready to make up?"

I opened my mouth to say yes, but all that came out was a small moan.

Oh, the joys of make- up sex

_

* * *

__Edward_

I felt my head aching a little even before opening my eyes. Damn, I knew I shouldn't have drunk scotch on a virtually empty stomach, but I was too upset at the time to care about that. Okay, I should have given Bella the heads up about Tanya going to brunch, but I wasn't lying when I said I that I was trying to protect my wife. Given our history, Bella would always be suspicious of Tanya, even when there was nothing going on between us.

I looked to my right and saw Bella lying on her side, snuggling with one of the pillows. I had to chuckle a little at the scene. Of course Bella would turn around and hug a pillow instead of cuddling me. She was always saying that I moved too much in my sleep for us to cuddle the entire night. I turned my head to check the hour on the clock. It was five P.M., meaning we had slept for almost four hours. I usually didn't sleep for such a long time in the afternoon, but the task of making up with Bella had the power of wearing me out. My hand touched the surface of the nightstand, hoping to find some of the aspirin Bella used to keep for when she had migraines. It wasn't there, and I groaned at the thought of having to go downstairs.

"Damn cold," I grumbled when my bare feet hit the cold floor. Really, I should start wearing socks to bed to avoid this. The mattress moved a little when I got up, but Bella didn't seem to be bothered with that, thankfully. She wasn't the nicest person after being woken up.

I grabbed an oversized shirt that had been thrown on the chair earlier and my sweat pants. Usually, I would walk around the apartment in boxers, but I didn't want to feel any cold at the moment. After leaving the brunch, I had walked for three blocks while it was snowing to clear my head before giving up and taking a cab. So it was safe to say I didn't want to feel like my extremities were frozen again.

I rushed the kitchen downstairs, where Bella used to keep the meds. She kept the medicine in more than one place. Because she usually forgot where they were, so she . The aspirin was there, so I quickly gulped it down with water. Before I could sigh in relief, my Blackberry started to ring. I picked it up and looked at the display to see who it was.

Oh great, it was Tanya.

"Hello," I greeted without much enthusiasm and just by the long pause she made, I could tell she had noticed it.

"Just by your tone, I think it's better to call you at another time." She sounded a little uncomfortable and I kind of felt bad for being so rude to her.

"No, it's okay. I just have a headache." I explained, even though she didn't really ask what was wrong with me.

"So, I'll just keep it short. I'm sorry for going to the brunch and causing all the drama between you and Isabella. I felt like I had stepped into The Hills when she walked out," Tanya said in a serious voice, and I could imagine her shuddering at the thought of having a catfight in front of Manhattan's finest. Now that the bad reality TV show drama was over, I couldn't help laughing at what she said. "Don't laugh, I'm serious. I felt really bad that Isabella took my being there so hard. I didn't want to go, but Andrea kinda forced me. You know that the earliest I get up on a Sunday is one o'clock."

It was true. Tanya was one of those people who took the term Lazy Sunday to a whole new level. While we were dating, there were several times when she actually broke up with me just because I made the _horrible_ mistake of calling her at ten in the morning.

"It's not your fault. You were bound to cross paths with Bella again. She was upset that I didn't tell her you were going to show up there. You mentioned it to me, but you weren't sure, so I never told her."

"Edward, did you tell Bella about our meeting?" My palms started to sweat a little. Oh crap, did Tanya tell anyone about that? That was supposed to be private, and I certainly didn't want my wife knowing about it. It wasn't a big deal, but the whole thing would be blown out of proportion.

"No, and nobody needs to know about that." My voice was so authoritative and harsh that I didn't even recognize it.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Look, you don't have to worry. I didn't tell anyone. I just called to apologize. I really hope that Bella and I can be cordial. I know that being us being friends is a bit of a stretch."

I had to laugh again. Now, that was wishful thinking. While my wife was one of the nicest people I knew, she just couldn't stand Tanya, and that little fact wasn't going to change now. After all, the feud had existed ever since we were in high school. "We're not teenagers anymore, so we can all be mature and move on."

"I agree with you, but I don't want to impose something on Bella, especially when she's pregnant and doesn't need to get upset."

"I know. It's just tiring, you know? I made one mistake years ago, and I'm still being condemned." She sighed, and I wanted to tell her that we made more than one little mistake, but I didn't say anything. "I'm not out for blood or anything. I hate that they still have this thing against me." I couldn't give her a reply for this. As much as I wanted to say that Alice, Bella and Rosalie were three mature women who could forgive and forget, I couldn't.

"I'll try to talk to them, but I can't promise anything. You know that my sister can be very stubborn."

"Thanks. I just wanted to apologize before leaving."

"You're going back to L.A.?" She made this whole speech about how she just wanted to have a nice relationship with Bella, and she was leaving to another coast. That was so Tanya.

"I'm going to Fay's house in Connecticut. She just got divorced, so I'll stay there for a week or two." Okay, now I was feeling bad that I doubted Tanya.

"Oh, that's nice of you." _And completely out of character_, I added mentally. Tanya wasn't a bad person. But she just wasn't one of those people who liked to comfort others when they were in a bad place. I guess people could change with time.

"I know, right? A few years ago, I would have told her to take a sleeping pill and call me later." We both laughed, and I had to admit that I was a little impressed by how much Tanya had changed in three years.

"Wasn't that what you told me when I got a bad grade and started to freak out because of Dartmouth?"

"In my defense, you were acting like a drama queen. Everyone knew that you would be accepted one way or another." Even if I didn't like to admit it, Tanya was right. Carlisle would never let one of his children be rejected from an Ivy League school. I was sure dad would have written a check to build another library before anyone could say not accepted. There was a noise, and I realized that I had been reminiscing with my ex girlfriend. It was surprisingly fun, but I was sure that Bella would flip out if she found out. I didn't want to take the risk, especially because her hormones and emotions were just crazy.

"So, I gotta go now."

"Oh, it's okay. I have to finish packing anyway. Talk to you in a few weeks," Tanya practically sang before hanging up. I looked at the Blackberry with surprise and set it down on table. Just as I was moving to go back to the bedroom, the phone started to ring again.

Damn.

I stared at the ringing object hoping it would quiet, but decided to pick up when it didn't.

"Hey, Edward, what's up?" Jasper asked on the other side of the line, and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. Jasper was a great friend and everything, but he always called when he had something specific to say. Thankfully, he didn't pick up my sister's habit of calling people when she was bored just to chat about anything and everything.

And yes, I did mean anything and everything.

"Hey, Jasper. Is everything okay? I thought you would still be out celebrating."

"Alice wanted to do something, but I was tired. However, Emmett convinced me of something." Oh, there it was. Emmett and Jasper were scheming and it involved me.

"Oh, did he?" I could play stupid and try to get out of whatever they had planned. My intuition was just screaming that these two wanted to have an intervention or some shit like that.

"We'll see you at Johnnie's in an hour."

"You see, Jasper, I'm not feeling very well, so maybe today isn't the best day. Next week?" I even coughed a little to prove to Jasper that I was feeling sick, but then I realized how pathetic I sounded.

"Nice try, Edward. Be there." He hung up quickly so I wouldn't be able to reply. Now that was one of the habits Jasper did pick up from my sister.

Fuck. I knew I shouldn't have picked up the phone.

* * *

As soon as I entered Johnnie's, the odor of cigar smoke filled my nostrils, and I regretted coming. From where I was standing, it was possible to see both Emmett and Jasper sitting at a table and drinking beer. They were talking and didn't notice that I was there. Unconsciously, I walked backwards slowly, when someone called my name. I tried to ignore it, but he continued.

"Edward! Hey!" It was Tony, one of the bartenders, who was trying to get my attention. Damn, I was busted. That was the downside of always going to the same place: everybody knew you.

Emmett and I had 'discovered' this place on a night out when I came to Manhattan to visit him while he was attending Columbia. Johnnie's was a sophisticated bar in the Village with less annoying drunks and more bohemians. Surprisingly, Emmett liked this place right away and it became our official bar to go when a guy's only night was needed.

"Hey Tony," I greeted him and shoved both hand inside my pockets. "How's it going?"

"Everything's fine. Are you in need of some liquid courage?" Tony offered, sparing a glance at Jasper and Emmet's direction. The guy probably figured out that I was practically being ambushed and wanted to help me.

"Just water for now, please." I was dying to get a shot of Jack, but I figured I should give them the chance of talking to me while I was still completely sober.

I made my way to the table, not aware that I looked like a dead man walking.

"Good thing you showed up." Emmett commented between gulps of beer when I sat down.

"Why? You would go to my house and threaten me otherwise?" I unsnapped the buttons of my coat with a little more force than necessary and almost had it off when Jasper put a hand on my arm.

"Edward, why are you acting like this?" he asked, causing me to frown. "You're all…defensive and we haven't even said anything."

"I'm not acting defensive; I just want to know why you wanted to meet up. You want to talk about Tanya, isn't that right?" They both nodded and I sighed. "Okay, what do you have to say?" Jasper and Emmett shared a look before Emmett cleared his throat.

"We're concerned with what will happen now that she's here," he says, pausing like I was a five year old, and I could tell that he had rehearsed this with Jasper.

"What can happen? Do you think she has some sort of power over me, and I'm going to jump in bed with her after five minutes?"

"Of course we don't think that's a possibility, but you seem to be closer to her." Emmett pointed out.

"I saw her three times; how is that closer? We made small talk on all of the occasions."

"You didn't have small talk when you went out for coffee," Jasper piped in, and I sent Emmett a glare. Of course my brother would betray me and run his mouth to Jasper.

"We talked. I told her I am married with a kid on the way and that was it. Yeah, I'll admit, I thought she was interested, but now I'm sure she's not." I assured them in an annoyed tone. However, they still had that concerned look on their faces, meaning they didn't really believe in me.

"But why didn't you tell Bella? Why hide it from her?" Emmett questioned, and I was speechless for a few seconds. Of course I didn't like to hide things from my wife, but that was different. Bella wouldn't really understand, and I couldn't tell her I met up with Tanya to make sure she wouldn't ruin my marriage.

"There are some things Bella doesn't need to know. Besides, you do know she has always been insecure when it comes to Tanya. She gets crazy stressed if someone mentions Tanya's name. So, no, I'm not going to tell Bella anything. And neither are you."

Jasper opened his mouth to say something when a waiter interrupted him to serve me my water. Before he could turn around to leave, I requested my J.D. There was no way I would be completely sober while having to listen to these two.

"I just don't think it's right. That's all." Jasper shrugged and his sentence made me a little mad.

"Oh, please, stop being a hypocrite. It's not like you don't keep secrets from Alice. So, let's stop with this 'it's not right' crap, okay? I don't need you to judge me right now." I knew I was venting, but I didn't care anymore. I hated when they tried to help me by giving these little talks and advices that were just a way to make me feel guilty.

"We're not judging, we're trying to help, bro." Emmett raised his arms, as if to say he had surrendered. The waiter placed my glass filled with scotch on the table and I downed it quickly.

"I know that, but you don't understand the relationship I have with Tanya. I hurt her in the past, too much. Yes, she used to be a spoiled little brat, but she's trying to be a better person now. And I owe her a second chance, so we can be friends."

Emmett and Jasper didn't say anything, and I figured it was because they were shocked with my words.

"I still think you shouldn't give Tanya anything." Jasper broke the silence, making me sigh frustrated. They would never understand my predicament, so there was no point in trying. "Being friends with the ex is never a good thing."

"I'll decide that." I opened my wallet and put a few bills on the table before getting up. "Bye."

"Are you going to leave like that?" Emmett asked in surprise. I had never left a conversation or argument before.

"Yeah, I don't want to talk about this anymore," I answered in the nicest way I could, which wasn't very nice, but I didn't really care. I was tired of them treating me like I was some teenage boy that thinks with his dick, when I was an almost thirty year old man who could very well make his own decisions. I got that they were only looking out for me, but that was not the right way to do it.

I walked out of the bar and the bitter winter cold hit me.

"Shit," I muttered while rubbing my hands together.

And to think that I had left my perfect, warm apartment uptown for this.

**A/N: So sorry for taking so long to update! Next chapter is halfway done, so don't worry! Thanks so much for your reviews and please let me know your opinion!**


	6. Page Six doesn't lie, does it?

_Bella_

_Two weeks later._

For some reason, I was feeling at the top of the world this day. Maybe it was because I didn't have to get up at six A.M. to chuck up my dinner, or because Edward and I were better than ever. Ever since Tanya had arrived, we were fine, but it felt like things were a little weird between us. Now any problem concerning Tanya seemed to be gone and we were focusing on the baby more, which was wonderful.

"Morning, sunshine," Jules greeted me when I stepped into our office. "You're looking great this morning."

"Thanks, Jules, you're being very nice." I touched my black skirt, feeling a little embarrassed. Yeah, it was stupid, but I wasn't very used to the whole compliment receiving thing. While I always tried to dress nicely, I worked in a fashion magazine after all. There were times when I felt like a rag next to the other girls clad in Dolce & Gabanna and Dior.

"They didn't bring decaf, but I scared some intern to get a hot chocolate. It's cold and you deserve to have a hot beverage like everybody else." She pushed the Styrofoam mug in my direction and I smiled as a form of gratification.

Juliet Friedman, or, as I liked to call her, Jules, was my best friend at Alette magazine and one of my best friends in the city. I thanked the heavens everyday for meeting her, really. She was the one who supported me when I was pretty much hated by everyone at Alette.

You see, I was hired when the magazine was just starting and mostly because Alex, my friend, had recommended me to the editor in chief. I wasn't the most enthusiastic person when it came to fashion at that time and I hadn't interned at Elle or Vogue, but that didn't mean I didn't deserve to get hired. However, everyone believed that I had bought my job, especially because I carried the last name Cullen.

Jules was the only person who didn't want to secretly stab me in the back, so we started to bond at that time. At first I thought we wouldn't like each other because she looked too much like one of those glam girls, with her perfect blond hair and clad in Dolce & Gabanna and Dior. But it turned out she was just a simple girl living downtown and trying not to spend all of her money at a Louboutin store.

"Thanks, Jules, you're the best," I told her with all my sincerity.

I loved Alice and Rosalie, really, I did. However, there were times when I just wanted to chill and do simple things like watch a 'Sex and the City' marathon with Chinese food. I couldn't do this with either of them because Alice would want to plan every single thing and Rosalie would want to nitpick if it wasn't perfect. They're just used to the greatness and perfection and I didn't feel bothered with that, because it was the way they were. Jules was like the opposite of them, if you excluded their love for fashion and designer labels. There was one time when I invited Jules to the penthouse, but we ended up staying the whole afternoon inside the closet with Jules trying out every single shoe and me laughing my ass off.

"I figured it wouldn't hurt to do something nice for Babs." Jules was still insisting on calling the baby 'Babs'. She must've figured it out that the nickname was starting to catch. I had called it Babs once or twice when she was in the room, much to her amusement. "So, what's with all the happiness today?"

"I don't know. I just realized I'm going to be a mommy, you know? And, I didn't have any morning sickness today."

"That's great! Did you write that on your baby notebook?" Yes, I had a baby notebook where I liked to write every detail concerning the baby and pregnancy. Well, all the nice details; I didn't need to write about having gas or anything like that.

"Not yet. I think I left it at home." I turned around to look for the white item inside my bag, but didn't find it. "It's okay, I'll write it down later. Let's go to work."

"Ugh, I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

"Jules, I already told you that you can't stay up partying on a Sunday." Jules opened her mouth to retort, but I cut her off before she could say anything. "And no, it doesn't matter if the guy's a Calvin Klein underwear model." She huffed and went to sit on her chair.

"You don't get it, Bella. You are married to your own underwear model and living in your humongous walk in closet."

"I don't live in my closet, Jules." I ignored the Edward comment so I wouldn't start blushing. Oh, God, I could be so ridiculous sometimes.

"You should. Seriously, I would crawl and die happily if I could be surrounded by Valentino gowns and Louboutin shoes."

Yep, that was Jules. The woman was simply obsessed with everything related to fashion and mostly designer label fashion. So much that she'd rather live in a tiny apartment at the Village and spend the rest of her money at Bendel's than move to a more comfortable place.

I was about to reply when someone practically barged inside our office. It didn't matter if they were glass doors; the polite thing to do was to knock.

"Oh, you're both here." It was Jessica Stanley. I was not surprised that she wasn't acting nice with me.

As some cruel twist of destiny, Jessica ended up working at Alette, too. At first, I was really excited to find out that she had been hired. After all, she would be the only familiar thing in the brand new stiletto heels world I was entering. My hopes of being friends with Jessica were shattered when I realized that she still viewed me as some kind of enemy. In high school, Jessica thought I was trying to steal her boyfriend and now she believed that I was trying to take her job, which was completely ridiculous.

"Hello, Jessica. That's a nice dress. Lanvin, 2008, right?" Jules asked in the sweetest and meanest voice she had, causing the little imaginary devil on my left shoulder to smile delighted when Jessica blushed.

"Vera pushed the meeting to afternoon, at three P.M." I could tell Jessica was making a mighty effort not to slap Jules, or both of us.

"Thanks so much for telling us."

And with that Jessica huffed and left, with her Manolos stomping on the floor.

"You need to stop being mean, Jules. You do know that she is very proud of her clothes." I laughed and pulled the laptop from my bag.

"Whatever, if she's that proud she shouldn't be wearing older than last season clothes and then try to look down at us. Have you gotten started on the research for the 'welcome the spring' photo shoot?"

"Yeah, I'm actually waiting for an email from the Brooklyn Botanic garden. I want to make sure we're the first ones to do something there this season, you know? So we don't look like copy cats."

I sat down and turned my attention to the computer's screen. I checked my inbox to see if there were any new messages.

"Oh, my effing God." I gasped when I clicked on a particular message and saw what it was about.

"Bella, what's wrong, are you having the baby?" Jules asked after she came to my side to check on me. My shock wore off a little bit at her ludicrous question.

"What? No, Jules, I'm thirteen weeks along! Now, please look at this!" I pointed to the screen with a shaky finger.

"It's an Evite for Tanya Denali's birthday party," she said and then realized what that meant. "Oh, I thought she was gone from your life."

"Yeah, and so did I. I guess I was wrong." I sighed, feeling all that exhilarating happiness leave me.

"So, what are you going to do, now?"

I quickly grabbed my Blackberry to text Alice and Rosalie. If there was someone who would be able to help figure out what to do, it was the two of them.

_Need to meet you ASAP. Pastis at lunch, _I typed as fast as I could and pressed send.

Oh, God, it was too early to deal with anything related to Tanya, especially when I couldn't have coffee.

* * *

"So, let's try to figure this out again," Alice said in a determined voice, and took a big gulp of water as if the task of trying to understand Tanya's actions had tired her out. "Tell me everything one more time. No, show me the email in your phone! Why didn't I think of this before?"

I fished for my phone inside the huge handbag and handed it over to Alice. Like two high school girls, she and Rose closed the distance between them and bundled up to read the damn invitation.

"Lucky bitch managed to get a private party at Marquee," Rosalie grumbled, making me crack a smile.

"So? What do you think?" I inquired them, forcing myself not to ruin my perfect manicure by biting my nails. That was one nasty habit that I hadn't completely dropped yet.

"I don't know. Maybe she's trying to test you, you know? See if you're not going to go nuts because she did something nice and suspicious."

"But why would she do this? That doesn't make any sense." I felt like screaming at that moment.

"She wants to test you in front of Edward," Rosalie concluded, and I frowned, silently asking her to explain. "Come on, this is a genius move! She invites you to her party and you freak out. What would Edward think of this? To him, she is being nice and you're being the bitch."

"You're right. Why didn't I consider this option before?" Rosalie shrugged and gave me her winning smile.

"You are too naïve when it comes to things like this. Besides, I just have this ability I was born with," Rose explained in the most not humble way and Alice let out a giggle.

"First of all, that question was rhetorical and second, what do I do now?" I was still very much in need of some guidance. After all, I wasn't the expert in reading other woman's intentions.

"If what Rose said is true, and it probably is, the best move is to show up at the party." Now I was sure my eyes had widened in surprise.

"Go to the party? Why?" I didn't really think they realized that the damn party would be held at a nightclub and I was incapable of drinking alcohol.

"Because then Edward will see that you are able to be the bigger person. He won't expect you to go, but he'll be impressed with the fact that you want to go. You know what I mean?"

When did these two become such experts in relationships?

"Look, I really appreciate the advice, but I'm pregnant. This means I'm tired all the time, I can't drink and my feet get swollen some times." I sighed when I finished talking.

Oh, the downside of pregnancy.

I was very surprised when both Rose and Alice looked at each other and then laughed.

"Bella, you don't have to stay the whole time. Show up, put on a smile, say happy birthday and stay for fifteen to twenty minutes! Edward is so done with the whole party scene that he'll want to leave after five minutes," Rose said and then looked at me like I was a little, uninformed girl.

Well, I didn't have the most knowledge when it came to these things.

"There is one little problem: I don't want to go at all," I practically whined, and turned my attention to the food so I wouldn't have to see their faces.

"Okay, you don't have to go, but let's face it; you're a bad liar and can't come up with a good excuse for shit," Rose pointed out that little flaw of mine. Well, being a bad liar wasn't exactly a flaw, but it certainly got annoying with time.

"Bella, it will be alright, okay? The party is in the next Saturday, we've got plenty of time." Alice started using that commandeering voice she had and I got a little scared of what she was planning. "You just need to wear the hottest and most fabulous clothes you have. No, I saw a dress that's perfect for you at Barneys!"

"Pregnant lady here, Alice. Please don't forget this little detail. Super fitted clothes don't go with baby bump." I put a hand on my almost imperceptible bump to show her what I meant.

"Bella, I know you feel bigger than normal, but you're still tiny. You don't have to worry, okay? What I saw is completely bump friendly and will make Tanya be crazy mad that you stole the attention from her."

I knew this was completely petty and immature, but for some reason, I felt like my small revenge against Tanya was finally complete. Just like she had done to me years ago, I was now rubbing my happiness with Edward on her face.

"God, this is a bad idea," I mumbled, not realizing that I had just voiced my thoughts. Judging by the look on their faces, I probably should have kept what I thinking to myself. "Come on, guys. Don't you think that this is a childish move?"

"We're not saying that you should push her head into the cake or anything like that. You just need to show Tanya that Edward is yours," Rosalie assured me and I relaxed a little. After all, they were right. I wouldn't be doing anything wrong and I could never be too suspicious of Tanya.

"Okay, you're right." I looked down at my watch and realized that my lunch hour was almost over. "I have to go. There is a meeting and I have to stop at Patricia Field's store to get some things."

"I thought you were a writer." Rosalie frowned with confusion.

"I am, but the girl got sick and next thing I know, they asked me to do it," I explained, trying to remember exactly how I had been stuck with the task."Want to split the check?"

"The check is on me today, don't worry." Alice took out her wallet to get the money and I checked the hour again. I really needed to go now.

"I need to get going." I hugged and then kissed both girls on the cheek. "Thanks so much for not letting me freak out too much." I added the 'too much' because the three of us knew that I would freak out with anything Tanya-related no matter what.

"What are friends for, right?" Alice shrugged as if it was no big deal. "Besides, my nephew or niece can't handle this stress."

"Well, I'll try to meditate or something," I said with a little smile. Edward had already forced me to work out with a personal trainer. I would _not_ start yoga or anything like that.

"Hey, do not make fun of my meditation!" Alice looked a little annoyed with my comment, but I didn't mind. We all knew that Alice had tried to do that whole meditation thing, but never had the patience to continue.

"Sorry. Talk to you later, okay?" I promised and quickly made my way out of the restaurant.

By the time I got into a cab, I was feeling much better, thanks to Rosalie and Alice.

* * *

I was dancing to the rhythm of the music playing on my iPod while I stirred the marinara sauce in the pot. For some reason, I wanted to act like a traditional housewife today and that included making dinner from scratch instead of just heating up whatever Liana had prepared. So, I told our cook to go home earlier, and put on an apron to get started.

I was about to get the garlic bread out of the oven when a pair of strong arms encircled my waist. At first I was a little alarmed, but relaxed when I recognized the faint smell of Edward's cologne.

"Something smells great in here," he murmured against my neck, before peppering a few kisses.

"I decided to make dinner," I explained, and moved away to finally take the bread out. With that small distance between us, I was able to take a good look at Edward. As I had expected, he looked better after taking a much needed shower, but he still had a very tired expression. That made my maternal instincts flourish a little more and I wanted to take care of him.

"That's new." He frowned a little in surprise. I wasn't really offended by that, because he was right. Even though I had kind of insisted that we should get modern kitchen equipments when we were buying furniture for the apartment, I didn't cook as often as I used to. Especially after we hired Liana and I started coming home from work really tired.

"I know, right? I decided that I should try to become more of a traditional housewife. I figured that if I have to start practicing taking care of someone, I should get started with you." I rested a hand on my stomach for a few seconds, feeling a little nervous at the thought of having to take care of someone who would be completely helpless.

"We're gonna be amazing parents, Bella," Edward stated after he saw a lingering doubt in my eyes. "However, I agree that you need to start taking care of me."

"Oh, so do you have any complaints about my skills as a wife? Because I thought I was doing a damn good job." I moved to pour the sauce on the pasta.

"Well, you're not bad, but you can always get better. It was about time that you cook me dinner," Edward complained, but I could tell he was joking by the smile on his lips. "I was beginning to think that I would have to buy you a 'how to' book or something similar."

"Very funny, Cullen." I rolled my eyes exaggeratedly, and Edward chuckled at my gesture. "Just get the plates. We can watch the basketball game while we eat."

Edward's face lightened up like a child in Christmas morning, and I had to resist the urge of rolling my eyes in annoyance again. My husband wasn't very a very big fan of sports, except for basketball. It was like he became a whole different man while watching the playoffs. It would be amusing if Edward didn't turn into such a sport-crazy guy when he watched the games.

"Babe, you just made my evening much better." He kissed my forehead before moving to get the plates.

"That's my duty as your dear wife." I put a couple of garlic breads on Edward's plate on top of the spaghetti, and he silently thanked me with a smile. "Go watch the game. The Cavs are playing. I'll be there in a minute."

"You're the best wife I've ever had," Edward said jokingly as he walked towards the den.

"Let's hope I'll continue being the best and the only wife you've ever had!" I called out, trying to keep a stern tone, but failing miserably.

Five minutes later, I walked into the den, balancing my own plate of food in one hand and two glasses in the other. The game wasn't on yet, but Edward's eyes were already fixated on the big flat screen.

"I thought you needed that." I handed him the glass that was filled with white wine before putting my plate on the dark wood center table. It was a tradition now. Every time a game was on, we would get comfortable on the fluffy, white rug, and practically eat on the floor.

"You keep getting better and better." Edward took the glass and patted the spot next to him. "Sit down. I don't want you to get too tired. You spent the whole evening cooking."

I rolled my eyes because Edward was concerned with my health and with the baby, but he could be such a drama queen sometimes. He had to get that whole "I'm pregnant, not sick" thing.

"I'm not tired from cooking, don't worry," I replied while sitting down next to him. His arm quickly came to rest on my shoulders like usual and I sighed in content. It was nice to be like that, all cozy and comfortable with Edward. Actually, it was so nice that I was half tempted to not tell him about the damn invitation and just ignore it. However, it would be cool to show everyone that I could be the mature woman, and tell Tanya that her games wouldn't work.

"Baby, this is great!" Edward complimented right after swallowing. At least he wasn't talking with his mouth full like Emmett did sometimes.

"I'm happy to know you like it." I wasn't this traditional housewife, but I liked to take care of my husband and spoil him a little. Just a little, because Esme had already spoiled him enough. I sipped on my sparkling water, trying to figure out how to approach the delicate Tanya subject. God, I hated that now I had to drink sparkling water from a wine glass and hope for a placebo effect.

"Okay, what's wrong?" He tore his eyes off the television and focused on me. "You're really quiet and you have this weird look on your face."

"Nothing is wrong, per se. I got this email earlier at work, it was an invitation." I started to explain, and he frowned. Edward probably wasn't getting why I was so worked up over a mere invitation. "An invitation to Tanya's party," I clarified.

"Oh, I didn't even remember it was her birthday."

For some childish reason, I felt kind of happy that Edward didn't remember an important thing about Tanya.

"So, you can imagine my surprise when I found out she invited us to her birthday party."

"Yeah, that's completely random. Just so it's clear, we don't have to go, okay?" he assured me before kissing my forehead.

"Remember that you told me I should be cordial to her? This is me extending an olive branch." I tried not to let the hesitance I was feeling show. Edward looked surprised with my behavior, to say the least. "We should go to her party."

"Okay, I didn't think you would want to do that," Edward said, and I just shrugged.

"I didn't want to do that at first, but then I figured that it would be nice for me to be the bigger person, right?"

"Bella, I'm proud of you. I know you don't really like Tanya, so it's very nice that you're willing to be nice to her."

I didn't really know what to reply, so I just smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. At that moment, I was just hoping that I would be able to really be the bigger woman.

* * *

I got up from the chair I was sitting on, and looked outside the window. The streets resembled a white blanket, as they were covered with the snow that had been falling since last night. There was a problem with the plumbing and the entire twenty seventh floor of the Weston Publications' building, Alette's floor, was flooded. Everyone was given a day off, and I took the opportunity to enjoy a lazy morning and think about what happened on Saturday Night.

I had survived Tanya's party, after all. It wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be, thankfully. Just like Rosalie had predicted, we didn't have to stay there the whole night. Actually, we only stayed for thirty minutes before Edward had enough of the loud, pop music, and before I felt bad that I couldn't drink anything. For my surprise, Tanya looked genuinely happy that we were there, and she didn't appear to be pissed off like Rose said she would.

My Blackberry on the bedside table started to ring loudly, almost making me jump in surprise. I got the phone to check who it was, and realized it was a text from Alice. That made me frown, because Alice didn't usually send texts, unless it was something really important and she wasn't able to talk on the phone.

"Bella, check out Page Six ASAP. Talk to you later," I read the message out loud without really understanding why she sent me this.

Even though I was confused, I did what Alice had asked and grabbed today's New York Post that Edward had left behind when he left for work. I was able to spot what Alice wanted me to check out in a matter of seconds.

My first thought was 'what the hell?' when I saw a small picture of myself with Edward next to a picture of Tanya. Then I started reading the article, but after the first lines, I was just skipping through the damn thing. Until words like _ex girlfriend_, _high school sweethearts_ and the worst of them, _possible love triangle, _caught my attention. Why in the hell would someone write a thing like this? And how would the press have this much inside information?

That was when I decided that being the bigger person wouldn't really work anymore. Tanya went too far when she talked to the press about private matters. I took another quick look at the paper before tossing it on the bed without much care.

I wasn't one for confrontation, but I had reached my limit. It was time that I let Tanya Denali know that she had to butt out of our lives.

**A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long, I just had many things happening in real life. Thanks so much for everyone who reviewed last chapter! I hope I won't take too long to update the next chapter. Don't worry, I've already started writing it! Next up: some of Bella's memories and a confrotation. Thank you so much to Project Team Beta! Leave me your opinion about the chapter**!


	7. A different Bella

**A/N: I'm sure you'll realize it, but just reminding that texts in italics are flashbacks!**

_Bella_

I knew my rage had reached its maximum when a few tears started dropping on my arm. In my whole life, I had always been good at controlling my tears, but the one thing I couldn't master was the art of holding in angry tears. However, pregnancy hormones mixed with the desire to murder Tanya Denali turned me to a leaking faucet.

Damn, this was supposed to be a nice day.

Tired of reading the small, yet hurtful article, I folded the paper and threw it on a chair nearby without much care. I should have known that Tanya wouldn't be capable of living in the same town without trying to disturb our lives somehow. I knew that thinking this sounded a little egocentric, but she had done this before. I could still remember the first, but certainly not the last time, that Tanya entered my life wreaking havoc.

_I opened my bedroom's door in haste and threw myself on the bed. A few seconds later, I heard the click of heels against the wood floor, and that was when I remembered that Alice had come with me when Esme drove me home and she was probably worried by the way I stormed out of the car. I felt the mattress shift a little with her weight and her hand touching my shoulder._

"_I'm so sorry, Bella. If I had any idea that he would do something like this, I would never…" Alice trailed off, choosing not to finish her sentence. Not that I needed her to. I already knew what she was going to say. If she knew that Edward was seeing Tanya, she wouldn't have insisted on giving me the mini makeover so I would feel more confident when I revealed my feelings to him._

_Oh God, I felt so stupid now. I was wearing dark skinny jeans and my hair was curled in a way that Alice had assured me was completely sexy. All of that was in vain, as Edward looked at me in the usual way before pulling Tanya closer to him._

_I should have known. I shouldn't have been so stupid. Edward was almost two years older than me and completely handsome. Of course he would go for the most beautiful girl in school instead of his baby sister's best friend. Especially when I was kind of a tomboy and didn't really care for make-up and shoes like other girls._

_I heard two thumps as Alice's shoes hit my bedroom floor and then I noticed that she was lying next to me. We always used to lie next to each other when one of us was really upset._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered again, and I shook my head, silently telling her that it wasn't her fault. Somehow, I knew that I just couldn't handle speaking at the moment. After all, I had been forced to hold my tears for a long time at the dinner, and I thought that if I tried to talk, I would start sobbing like a baby. "She's not the right girl for him, and he'll realize that soon."_

_Edward's bright smile when he announced to his family that he had been dating Tanya for almost three weeks told me that no, he wasn't going to realize that she wasn't the right girl for him. Why in the hell did I think Edward would just reciprocate my puppy love? I was so out of my league._

_I blinked twice and then I felt tears finally leaving my eyes. I reached to wipe my face and realized that my make-up was ruined. Too bad Alice hadn't foreseen tears while doing my make-up. _

"_I know it hurts now, but we'll find you some cute boy so my jackass brother will be nothing but a memory to you." She assured me in that positive voice of hers, making me feel a little jealous at how optimistic she could be. "I promise."_

_This was supposed to make me feel better, but it didn't really work. Yeah, I got it that I was way too young to feel like I had been crushed by a car just because of a boy, but Edward was more than that for me. When I was little and the bully boys were messing with me, Edward was the one who stepped up and defended me. That was when my minor infatuation for him started. Needless to say, by the time I turned fourteen, I was already head over heels with him._

_So I didn't want some cute boy, I wanted Edward._

"_Okay." I nodded, and she wrapped her arms around me like a mother would do with her child. Alice had always been very protective of those she loved, something I really appreciated at that moment._

"_Is there anything you want? I noticed you didn't eat anything, I didn't either. Maybe I could order us something." _

_Her motherly instincts kicked in even more now that Charlie had gone away on a two day fishing trip. I was supposed to stay the weekend at the Cullens', but there was no way I would let any of them hear me crying._

"_I don't want to eat anything, Alice." My stomach churned at the mention of food. I needed two more hours to reach the next stage of dealing with heartbreak: stuffing myself with ice cream and pizza. "Not right now."_

"_Okay. You can cry if you want to, Bella. I promise you'll feel better afterwards, and then we'll watch one of those chick flicks I know you have hidden somewhere."_

_Despite the silent, falling tears, my lips curled in an amused small smile. Alice was really trying her hardest to make me feel better. With her hand making soothing movements on my back, I fell asleep._

_I just hoped I wouldn't dream about Edward like I usually did._

Remembering that made me shudder uncomfortably and I decided that taking a long shower was probably the best thing to do at the moment. Especially after I saw my reflection in the mirror. My hair was sticking up in every possible direction, and my eyes were red and swollen because of my previous crying. Needless to say, I was not a pretty picture.

I was about to enter the bedroom when my phone started ringing again. Even though I was a little annoyed that I just couldn't take one shower peacefully, I was kind of relieved because it was Alice's ring tone. If nobody else was calling me, it probably meant they hadn't read or heard about the damn thing.

"Hey, Alice."

"Bella, I was so worried about you! I just can't believe someone would write an article like this. I'm a hundred percent sure that Tanya talked to the press. A sane person wouldn't just make this up out of the blue." Alice started to talk in the 'thousand words per minute' way, something she did when she was agitated. Knowing her, I figured it would be better to let her rant. After all, I had already thought about everything she was saying.

"Well, you don't have to worry, I'm okay. I'll admit that I'm upset, but then again, who wouldn't be?"

"Ugh, she is such a bitch. I should've known she would pull something like this. I wouldn't have encouraged you to go to her party," she said the last phrase in a quiet voice, and I felt bad. I could tell she was feeling a little guilty.

"Alice, I know that you like to think that you have psychic powers, but you don't. There was no way you could have predicted something like this," I told her, not even realizing that my tone was a little forceful. I just didn't want her to blame herself when it wasn't her fault in any shape or form.

"When I say this, I'm serious. I can go to her hotel and kick her ass."

I laughed at the thought of Alice trying to take Tanya down.

"Thanks for your loyalty, but I think I need to do this."

"Bella, you can't have a fight with Tanya! You have to be careful with the baby, remember?" Alice asked me very slowly as if I was a small child.

"Alice, I'm going to talk to her and ask why she did this. I think I'm too old for catfights!"

I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to slap Tanya on the face, but being involved in fights wasn't my style. Besides, I was a mother, and mothers didn't behave that way.

"If that's what you say. I'm really sorry, there is a problem with the designs and, hold on, Bella."

I could hear her talking to someone about stripes in the background, and I didn't want to leave her in this awkward position where she had to work while talking to me.

"Ali, I can tell you're busy, so I'll just let you get back to work. Thank you so much, we can talk later, okay?"

"I'm sorry I can't talk right now. Everything's a mess in here. Just one thing, be careful with Tanya. You know how she can be when she's angry."

"Okay, I'll be careful. Bye." I ended the call, and set the phone down.

Yeah, I could still remember how Tanya was when she was angry. It was an interesting night, that one.

_I was in the Cullen's backyard, sitting on a bench while sipping in an iced tea. It was the end of May, and it was practically summer. Even though I wasn't one to enjoy being sweaty all the time, I had to admit that it was nice when it wasn't raining 24/7. It was a shame that I wasn't able to enjoy the sunset. After all, Edward and Tanya were in the living room, and I was pretty sure a murder would happen in the next fifteen minutes. Especially because I was pretty sure I had heard the sound of glass breaking._

_Esme and Carlisle were in Europe for a week, so Alice decided to throw a small party to celebrate that they didn't have any parental supervision and that Emmett and Edward would be leaving for college. It was still early, and nobody had arrived yet. However, Alice was already in her room getting ready, and I decided to let her do that on her own._

_That was probably one of the worst mistakes I had made in the day. If I was upstairs with Alice, I wouldn't have to listen to Tanya's shrills that happened every five minutes. Okay, I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to eavesdrop into their conversation, but even I became uncomfortable while listening to their argument. So, I decided to wait outside, in the backyard. _

"_Oh my God, Edward! How can you be so selfish?" Tanya screeched, making me cringe. _

_Someone really needed to remind her that the house had lots of windows, and she would shatter all of them if she continued screeching like that._

"_When I do something I've wanted for my whole fucking life, I'm selfish? That's rich!" I heard Edward's voice, and frowned. I had never seen or heard Edward so angry like that before, so it came as a surprise to me._

_Their fight continued for ten more minutes, and I guessed it ended when a door was violently slammed. Well, someone leaving was better than the two of them having some angry sex while I was in the damn house._

_I was about to get up to get another iced tea when Edward came out of nowhere and plopped down on the seat next to me. It wasn't hard to notice the exhausted look in his eyes and the glass of whiskey he was nursing. I kind of stilled, not knowing what to do._

"_Are you okay?" Yeah, I decided to go with the generic question. He took a big gulp from his glass before answering._

"_I don't know. I think I just broke up with Tanya," he confessed, and I felt my heart beat a little faster._

_God, could I get any more pathetic?_

"_You think?" I tried to play it cool, but my voice wavered a little. This was one of the times when I wished I was a good actress. "You always break up. I'm sure you'll be fine by next week." I assured him, even if it hurt me._

_Yeah, Edward's had a girlfriend for years, but it's not that easy to get over him._

"_Not really. We're done, for good."_

"_What happened?" My curiosity got the best of me, and I had to ask._

"_Tanya didn't do anything senior year, you know? All she cared about was going to parties, shopping, and going out of town on the weekend. I tried to talk her out of it, but it didn't work. That's why she wasn't accepted to any colleges."_

_I almost spit out my iced. Tanya got rejected from all the colleges she had applied to? Talk about humiliation._

"_So, what's she gonna do?"_

"_Her dad is a very important figure at USC, and he managed to get her in," Edward said, and I frowned._

_If Tanya got into USC, what was the damn problem?_

"_She wants me to go to California with her, to attend Berkeley instead of Dartmouth." He must have caught my confused expression, so he quickly explained why they had a fight._

"_You love Dartmouth. You've been wearing a Dartmouth sweater to sleep in ever since you were fourteen!" I exclaimed without thinking, and then blushed when I realized what I had said. And then I felt my face heating up some more when I saw Edward crack a smile. "Well, you know what I mean." _

_God, I really needed to shut up._

"_Yeah, I know. I don't want to go to Berkeley. I just applied in case I wasn't accepted to any of the other schools." He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more. "I have a plan, you know?"_

"_Stick to your plan. Go to Dartmouth. If Tanya really likes you, she'll understand." I felt a little bad now. Just because I knew Tanya enough to get that she was a spoiled and proud girl, who wouldn't accept Edward's decision. So I practically told him that his girlfriend didn't like him enough._

"_She won't, she just told me I was a selfish son of a bitch because I don't want to go to California with her." Edward shook his head, as if he didn't really believe what had just happened._

"_Yeah, I kind of heard that. I'm sorry."_

"_You've got nothing to be sorry for, don't worry. Tanya was definitely screeching in there."_

"_Well, then I'm sorry for the end of your long relationship with her." _

_I really wasn't, but that wouldn't be a really nice thing to say._

"_I'm sorry too." _

_My heart clenched with his affirmation, so I didn't offer him a reply. We stayed in a comfortable silence for five minutes before Edward spoke up again._

"_Bella?" _

"_Huh?" _

"_She broke my mother's china vase. I'm screwed," he said the words in a tone that was so serious that I had to laugh. "I'm serious here. That thing was ugly, but my mom is always saying that it's crazy expensive and we should be careful. I'm dead."_

"_Edward, I'm sure your mother is not going to murder you because of a vase."_

"_You know what I should do? Convince Emmett to move up our trip a week early so we're already gone by the time my parents come back."_

_I never thought that desperate Edward could be so cute. Well, maybe only this kind of desperate._

"_Stop. Your parents will want to say goodbye to you before you're gone for the summer." My voice almost cracked at that point. _

_Edward and Emmett would be going on a backpacking trip to Europe, and would only come back a few weeks before they needed to leave for school. I knew it was stupid, but I was kind of expecting to finally have something with Edward in the summer before he left. _

"_After the broken vase, I'm starting to doubt that." He downed the glass, finishing the remaining scotch. "You're good friend, Swan."_

_Yeah, I already knew I was his friend. I really didn't need to hear it again._

"_Thanks. You look really tired. Take a shower and go to sleep." _

"_What about Alice's party?"_

"_You just broke up with your girlfriend, I'm sure she'll understand," I told him, and he raised an eyebrow saying 'really, do you honestly think that's going to happen?' _

_To tell the truth, I was sure that Alice would change the party theme from 'yay, my brothers are going to college!' to 'yay, Edward finally got rid of Tanya, the wicked bitch from the West Side!' And that wasn't even an exaggeration. Alice had actually referred to Tanya like that more than once._

"_Look, if you're that worried about what your sister is going to say, I can tell Emmett to wake you up, okay?" I felt a little uncomfortable in saying that I could be the one to wake him up. "Just go and be okay, because you look horrible right now."_

_I was lying. Edward could never look horrible, but he wasn't looking too good by his standards._

"_Gee, thank you for the compliment," he said sarcastically, making me roll my eyes. "You're a good friend."_

"_I know, you already said that." I was sure my heart was breaking a little at the moment when the most amazing thing happened._

_Edward leaned over and pecked me on the lips. I was sure that he was a little buzzed and didn't even notice that he had kissed me on the lips instead of my cheek. _

"_Thank you Bella." He put the glass on the table next to the settee, and got up to leave._

_I was a little disappointed that the accidental kiss didn't turn into anything more like in my fantasies, but I was feeling okay. I wouldn't be crying about my unrequited crush anymore, and that felt good._

_Maybe that's what growing up and moving on was about._

* * *

The sound of the blow-dryer filled the bathroom, and it was so loud that I almost didn't hear the soft knock on the bedroom door. I wrapped myself with the long sleeved robe, and got out of the bathroom to answer the door. It was Erica, the cleaner.

"Mrs. Cullen?" she called out before I carefully opened the door.

Oh God, there she went with the Mrs. Cullen again. I resisted the urge to tell her to call me Bella, as I had done it at least three times and she never listened to me.

"Did Edward ask you to remind me to take the vitamins?" I asked her before she could say anything else. That was usually the reason why she went upstairs to talk to me. Edward trying to take care of me would be really cute if it hadn't been getting so annoying.

"Well, he did, but that's not why I called. There's a Jules Friedman here to see you."

Now that was surprising. Jules was up in the morning when we didn't have to go to work, and she had also come uptown.

"Just tell Richie to let her up, and then she can come into the bedroom. I need to get dressed." I opened the door completely to show that I was only wearing a robe.

"Okay. I'll do that." She turned around to go downstairs, and I closed the door.

I went to the closet and got a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, steering away from the more sophisticated clothes I wore to work. It felt really good to be able to wear Uggs instead of pumps or flats.

Five minutes later, I could already hear Jules's shoes against the floor and then an anxious knock on the door.

"Come in!" I yelled, and laughed when Jules came into the bedroom with her hands covering her eyes. "And you can uncover your eyes, Jules. Why would I tell you to enter if I was naked?"

"You never know." She shrugged, and then focused on my shoes. "Are you wearing Uggs?"

I looked down, trying very hard not to roll my eyes. Just when I thought I was safe from the judging looks.

"Yes, Jules, I'm wearing Uggs, and so should you. Why in the hell would someone wear high heeled boots to walk outside when it's icy?" I pointed to her boots, not really believing she was wearing them.

"I would try to defend myself, but I know you won't listen, so, here." Jules opened her bag, and pulled out her pink flash drive. "I know you have to do a profile about Karl Lagerfeld, and then I remembered that I had a bunch of information about him."

"Thanks so much, I completely forgot that you love him. I would have given you the article, you know?" I took the flash drive and gave her a grateful smile. When she looked down instead of looking at me in the eyes, I realized it. "You read Page Six today, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry Bella, you know I always read Page Six. I love it, but what they wrote about you was cruel. It's not like you're an actress or something like it so they would be talking about you."

"Well, Edward's family is an important one here in New York, and Tanya's a socialite, remember?"

"I came to give you this and to cheer you up. Is it working?" she asked, sounding a little nervous.

To say the truth, I believed that Jules was afraid that I would have a meltdown right in front of her. Not that I blamed her, I was crazy hormonal, and she had never been good with tears.

"No. not really."

"Then I have another present for you." This time, Jules had an evil smirk, and I could tell that she was hatching some plan. "Your archenemy is staying at the Waldorf, room number 1102."

"How in the hell do you know that? You don't even know Tanya."

"No, but I know someone who knows someone who is close to Tanya. I kind of told my friend that Alette might be interested in interviewing Tanya, and after that it was child's play. They told me she would stay in her room the entire afternoon."

The wheels inside my head started turning, and then I finally realized what Jules had done for me.

"You set everything up so I can go confront her. Have I told you that you are a genius lately?"

Jules bowed down, thanking me for the compliment.

"Not enough, but I'll take what I can get. I kinda figured I owed you after you saved my ass at that meeting with Vera, you know? The one where I was completely hung over."

I nodded quickly, and then moved to hug her. It was a little ridiculous, because she was much taller than me, and I had some difficulty reaching her neck. Jules sensed that, and started laughing when there was a small distance between us.

"Look Bella, just go and talk to her, okay? No catfight or anything that can harm Babs." She reached out and touched my stomach for a few seconds. "If you need someone to kick her ass, you can give me a call."

I genuinely laughed at that.

"Okay, I will. Now, would you like some breakfast? Everyone loves the waffles Liana makes."

"No on the waffles, yes on the mimosas."

Of course Jules would find a way to get some Mimosas out of me. Usually, I would've argued that it was very early for that, but she went out of her way to help me. That had to count for something, right?

"Well, I can offer you a Mimosa as a thank you gift. Let's go." I offered my hand so she could take it.

"Oh, I'm sorry that I'm rubbing the fact that you can't drink in your face."

"It's okay; I'm already used to it." I could use a drink, or two, but it would probably be better to go meet Tanya when I was completely sober.

By the time I got to the kitchen, I was feeling so much better that the mention of pancakes didn't make me nauseous anymore.

* * *

Just like any other five star hotel in Manhattan, the Waldorf Astoria had a luxurious main lobby that was beautifully decorated. I giggled a little when I saw a couple standing next to me, completely floored by the opulence around them. It was funny to think that I was just like them a few years ago.

"Hello, is there any way I can help you?" A young receptionist asked me with a smile as soon I reached the front desk.

"Yes, there is. I'm a journalist from Alette magazine and I have a meeting scheduled with Tanya Denali. Could you please let her know that I'll be waiting for her at the bar?"

After talking to Jules, I had decided that it would be better to talk to her at the bar instead of her room. Having strangers around us was probably the best way to make sure that I wouldn't lose control.

"Okay." She punched a few numbers in the phone, and then looked at me again. "I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Juliet Friedman," I said without hesitation, and regretted it two seconds later. For some reason, I was expecting the receptionist to look at me and say she knew I was Bella Cullen, not Juliet Friedman. Thankfully, she just nodded, and talked into the phone for a minute before hanging up.

"She said she'll be down in five minutes. Do you know where the bar is?"

"Yes, thank you."

I got to Sir Harry's Bar, and moved towards the nearest table instead of sitting on one of the bar stools. While I arranged for this meeting to be in a public place, I didn't want to have an argument right in front of the bartender.

"Good afternoon, would you like some fresh nuts?" A nicely dressed waited greeted me a minute after I had sat down.

"No, I'll just have a bottle of sparkling water, please."

I considered asking him to serve the water in a champagne flute, just to check if my theory about placebo effect was still true.

"Bella? What are you doing here?" I heard Tanya's surprised voice behind me, and my lips contorted into a small smirk. "I'm supposed to meet up with a journalist from Alette."

I turned my head around, and I felt like laughing when I saw Tanya. Just by the black leather leggings and the ankle booties she was wearing, I could tell that she had dressed up to look like a fashionista for the 'interview'. It was a pity that she had made all this effort in vain.

"I'm a journalist from Alette. Why don't you sit down?" I pointed to the chair across from mine. Tanya looked confused, but she sat down without arguing.

"What's this about, Bella?"

I opened my mouth to finally tell her what I'd been dying to say, but the waiter arrived with my water, interrupting me.

"Your water, madam." He opened the bottle and filled the glass. Then, he looked at Tanya. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, thank you." She gave him a forced smile that disappeared the moment he turned around. "What's going on?"

"Did you read today's Page Six?" I decided that it would be better to ease into the problem instead of just yelling '_you bitch'_ in her face.

However, it didn't seem like she had any idea of what I was talking about.

"No."

"Why would you tell a reporter something that was private?"

"You've managed to confuse me even more. What are you talking about?"

I huffed in frustration. Wouldn't it be easier if she said that she had something to do with the article and then apologize? Why continue on acting like a poor, confused girl?

"The article in Page Six. It said that you were Edward's girlfriend in high school, and that we are trapped in a love triangle." My voice almost cracked when I remembered the article, but there was no way I would cry in front of Tanya. "There is a picture of us at your party! You clearly have something to do with this!"

"I'm sorry to say, but I don't have anything to do with this. I know we're not friends, but I wouldn't go to the media to talk about something so private." Tanya tried to argue, and all I could do was roll my eyes. This time, I wasn't even trying to hide my irritation.

"Oh, please, don't start with the good girl act. I've known you for a long time, so you can't fool me, Tanya."

"Seriously, why can't you believe that I didn't speak to the press?"

"Because I would be an idiot if I did. You hate me; you hate the fact that I won the war. Don't even try to deny it. You can't deal with the fact that I'm married to Edward, and having his baby, can you?"

I unconsciously touched my white gold wedding ring, but stopped doing it when I saw that Tanya was looking at it. It was stupid, but I didn't like it when she even glanced at my ring. It felt like she was cursing me or something.

"Everything's in the past. I'm glad Edward's happy."

"You're not glad Edward's happy with me. Please, I know you overheard me talking to Alice that day. I told Alice I had feelings for Edward, and a few weeks later he's dating you. I actually talked to him, and he told me that you had confused him at the time. You kept saying you just wanted to be friends, and out of nowhere you agreed to go out with him on a date. The moment Edward told me that, I realized it."

Tanya covered her face with both hands, and groaned. I guessed she was feeling a bit embarrassed.

"That wasn't my finest moment, but come on, I was a teenager. Is there any need to rehash the past?"

"I don't want to rehash the past. I just wanted to show that you don't like me, so you would have every reason to say something like that to the press."

"By what you're saying, the article was also about me. Why would I want to be seen as some kind of home wrecker?"

"Because you're an attention whore," I answered without a beat, and only realized what I had said after a seconds.

Well, Oops.

"Bella, I think this conversation is over." Tanya started to get up.

"No, it's not. Sit down; we still have a lot to discuss." My voice had taken an authoritative tone, and I was sure I sounded like a mobster. There was so much inside that I felt like I would die if I didn't tell her everything I needed to.

"Look, I'm saying I had nothing to do with the article, okay? I know the guy that probably wrote it, he was at the party. Do you want me to call him so we can clarify this?"

"No, I'll just say something, and then I'll leave." I sipped on the water calmly, preparing myself for what I had to say. "I pity you, Tanya."

"Excuse me?" She looked at me like I had grown another head.

"You're just some woman who lives off her daddy's money, doesn't have a job, and thinks she's better than everyone because of it. Really, for some time, I was convinced I didn't like you just because you had dated Edward before me, but that's not it. You just can't handle seeing Edward happy with another woman, so you have to ruin it."

"I don't know who's been misinforming you, but I like Edward as a friend. If I didn't why would I have…" Her eyes went wide, and she stopped talking.

Okay, what was that?

"You wouldn't have what?" I prompted her impatiently.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter."

There was an uncomfortable silence, and I decided that it would be better to leave.

"You were right, after all. I'm not going to focus on the past anymore. So, please, just stay out of our lives, Tanya. We were doing fine before you came along."

I put a twenty dollar bill on the table, and my eyes locked with Tanya's.

"Thank you so much for your time." I smiled at her before getting up.

Tanya didn't seem to be understanding what had just happened. Probably she was shocked with my newfound attitude. In her defense, I was shocked too.

This new Bella was like a complete different person, and for some reason, I liked her. It felt good to just say what I was thinking and feeling instead of bottling everything up. Right before I left, I glanced at Tanya. She was still sitting, but holding a martini now.

I felt a little bad for some of the things I had said, but the exhilarating feeling of finally getting even was bigger than anything.

So, I decided to go with the flow and enjoy it.


	8. Gentlemanly Behavior?

_Bella _

Was it ridiculous that I was feeling incredibly happy and satisfied? Really, I managed to give Tanya a piece of my mind without losing my poise or calm, and the problem with the plumbing at _Alette_ hadn't been solved. That meant I didn't have to go to work today, coinciding with my plans for the afternoon: spend the whole time watching television and then napping. It wasn't my fault that I was acting so lazy; the baby just kept stealing all of my energy, making me feel like an old woman half of the time I was up.

I heard the sound of the shower, and my lips curved immediately. See, someone up there was really being nice to me. In addition to not having to go to work, I would be able to stay in bed with Edward, who just returned from a thirty-six-hour shift. So I was planning on just relaxing with him for the rest of the afternoon.

That was why I had carefully hidden the newspaper with the _Page Six_ article. Not that I needed to, because Edward would never read it anyway, but I just wanted to make sure that our day together would be lazy and comfortable, not filled with thoughts of Tanya. Especially because I still wasn't sure how to tell him what I had done yesterday.

I snuggled with my pillow and rubbed my feet together so they could get a little warmer, hoping that Edward would end his shower soon. I got that he had come back from a hospital and all, but he didn't have to take so long.

"Thinking about me?" His hot breath on my skin made me shiver involuntarily.

It was funny; I was so focused on mentally berating him for acting like a girl by taking long showers, that the water had stopped running.

"Would you be hurt if I said no?" I asked with a smile, feeling one of his hands sneak under my t-shirt and caress my round stomach. For some time now, I had noticed that this seemed to be his favorite thing to do every time we were alone. At first, it kind of bothered me, because I wasn't really used to having so much attention focused on one part of my body. However, the hormones had clearly kicked in now, and seeing Edward looking and touching my stomach in that reverential way almost brought me to tears.

"I'd be hurt if you said you were thinking about another man. I hope that's not the case."

I closed my eyes so I could take in his scent better. He smelled like his soap and peppermint from the toothpaste, and it was completely perfect.

"To be honest, I was thinking about this man who used to be my husband, and now he's a complete stranger." I kept my tone playful so he wouldn't think I was criticizing his job. While it was true that I wasn't crazy about him not being home very often, I knew he loved working at the hospital. "I can't remember the last time I saw him."

"He's very sorry, you know? There was a horrible accident, and they needed everyone." There was gloominess in his voice, and I was able to tell that he was a little upset.

"It doesn't matter anymore. You're here now, and I don't have to go to work. That means we should take a very long nap and not think about anything else."

Without leaving the comfort of his arms, I managed to turn around so I could look him in the eye. As if he was mirroring my expression, his lips curved in a soft smile.

"Hey," he whispered so softly that I only got what he said because I read his lips.

"Hey, stranger."

The hand that was splayed on my stomach started to tickle me a few seconds after I spoke. I let out a surprised shriek, trying to get free from his hands. There was this general consensus that tickling was fun and cute, but I couldn't disagree more. As a matter of fact, I hated being tickled, and Edward liked to use that to his advantage.

"I really don't think you should call me stranger when our child can hear you," Edward said when he finally stopped the torture.

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't try to poison our baby inside the womb when I'm alone," I exclaimed sarcastically, lightly slapping him on the shoulder. "So, let's start over. Hello, man of my life. Is that better?"

"Much better, thank you. Now, come here." Edward murmured the last phrase, pulling me close to him so our bodies were touching. His hair was a little damp and tousled, and even with his tired expression, he resembled his younger self a little. For some reason, that made him look more gorgeous.

"I missed you," I sighed against his closed lips, feeling the familiar butterflies flutter. They always did when I was with Edward, even after years of being with him."I hate sleeping without you here."

Edward detached his lips from mine and chuckled at my confession. I didn't usually say those things to him, so he was probably delighted. Whatever, I blamed pregnancy hormones for making me so needy and emotional.

"I'm with you now. What are you going to do?" He raised an eyebrow, and it was my turn to chuckle.

"Do you need a detailed explanation?" I used my best seductive voice, smiling on the inside when he swallowed heavily. He was probably not expecting that from me.

"I don't need one, but if you insist on giving it to me, I won't-" Edward started to say, but I cut him off with a kiss.

That whole teasing talk was kind of getting to me, and I had to kiss him. I could tell that he was too exhausted to have sex at the moment, but I was sure he wouldn't be opposed to cuddling and kissing for a little while.

I honestly thought I was in heaven when Edward's hands got tangled in my hair, and he pulled me even closer to him. The only sounds in the room were our heavy breathing and my small moans, and I liked that. It made me feel like Edward and I were in a world of our own, and nobody could enter. I was still enjoying that feeling when I heard a loud beep.

"Ignore it," I told him before dropping kisses on his neck. To tell the truth, I didn't really know where the beep came from, and I wasn't interested in finding out.

A few seconds later, the beep came back, making me realize that it was coming from my phone. I had set it to beep so I would know if someone had sent me an email.

Great, just great.

"Do you need to get that?" He put a small distance between us, and rested his head on the pillow.

"It could be someone from _Alette_. We have the day off, but they keep sending me things to work on," I answered, but didn't try to move. As annoying as the sound was, I could live with it if I didn't have to get up.

"Bella, do you want me to get that?" The question was probably rhetorical, but I still smiled and nodded.

"Would you be nice and please do that? The phone is near you, after all." I pointed to the BlackBerry on the bedside table. "And while you're at it, you can just read the message, please."

Edward let out a laugh at my request, but I was pretty sure he would comply with it.

"I'm the one who spent more than twenty four hours awake and now you're using me as a personal assistant?"

"Hey, you're using me as a human incubator, so I think this is a fair trade."

He just gave me a look before finally reaching out an arm to get the phone.

"Okay, this email is from Addison Morrell."

"I have no idea who she is, but read it anyway." I moved to rest my head on his chest when he leaned on the headboard.

"_Hey, Bella, this is Addison Morrell, I don't think we've met, but…"_ Edward started reading out loud, but suddenly stopped.

"Edward, are you okay? This Addison isn't some new big shot at _Alette _who just fired me, is she?" I looked up and saw that he was looking at the small screen intently with a frown. "What's wrong?"

I started to get a little concerned when Edward ignored me and continued reading the email. This was my work email address; what could be so interesting in a message that was probably about Coco Chanel? When I lightly tapped him and he ignored me again, I decided that his fun time with my phone was over, and I quickly reached out and grabbed it. After that, I couldn't think about anything.

Well, anything besides the usual _holy crap_.

It turned out that Addison Morrell wasn't some important editor at _Alette_. She was Tanya Denali's best friend, and the person who lied about my marriage to a Page Six journalist.

Great, I found out about that right after I completely bashed Tanya. Not that I was feeling bad for that, though. However, Addison's email said that my encounter with Tanya had left her friend in a bad state, and she was acting as if she was depressed now.

I was sure that the depressed part was an exaggeration, since Tanya had always been a drama queen.

"Uh, Bella, is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Damn, I had momentarily forgotten that Edward wasn't aware that there was an article talking about us. Just like before, I didn't really know how to tell him, so I got off the bed and opened one of the drawers of my bedside table. Edward never went through them, so it was a "safe" spot to put the paper.

"Read it," I instructed while handing him the folded paper with the page already marked.

I tried really hard not to stare at him while he was reading, but I couldn't help it. His expression ranged from confused to a little angry, and I wasn't surprised at that. Edward hated to see his face in the paper unless it had something to do with his work.

So, it was safe to say that I was surprised when Edward started laughing and then set the paper down. I cried angry tears when I read the damn thing and he was laughing?

What the hell?

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I don't think you understood what this is about."

"This is crap, Bella. The guy is saying we're in a love triangle because I said Happy Birthday to Tanya at her birthday party. This is completely ridiculous."

Why couldn't Edward get mad like I did?

"You hate when your name is mentioned in situations like these. How come you're not upset?"

"Because it's stupid. Yes, I don't like it, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it." He shrugged. I stayed quiet, not really knowing what to say. "However, I'm concerned with how _you_ handled it. What was that email about? Why is Tanya, and I quote, all depressed? "

I opened my mouth to say something but quickly closed it. How was I supposed to tell Edward about my little encounter with Tanya when he was being so blasé about this damn article? He clearly wouldn't understand my need to confront her.

"Um, I talked to her and may have said some things that could have been a little…mean." I took some time to figure out what would be the best way to describe the situation.

"What the hell, Bella? Why would you do that?" He sounded kind of surprised and angry.

"I thought she was the one who talked to the press, so I got mad and wanted to find out why she did it."

"How did you even meet with her?"

"I went to the hotel where she's staying. Why are you so bothered by that?"

"I'm just surprised. Going to Tanya's hotel to humiliate her is not something I imagine you doing."

He sounded a little disappointed with me, and I hated that.

"Look, I know what I did was kind of out of character, but it was something I needed to do." I tried to explain, but I didn't really expect Edward to understand how my mind had worked.

"I'm starting to get a headache. Can we talk about this later?" he asked, and I nodded. It wasn't like I could blame him for not wanting to get into this "high school drama" a" aaa fter being awake for so much time.

In silence, Edward laid down and turned to his side so he wasn't facing me. I figured that was his way of showing he really didn't want to talk. So, I decided that I should also sleep and not worry about what was going to happen.

A few hours later, I woke up to find that Edward wasn't in bed. In his place, there was a small, white paper. I reached for it with a smile, imagining that the note was one of Edward's romantic gestures. The smile left my face as soon as I read it.

_Bella,_

_I woke up and went to the gym. Be back in an hour. Don't miss me too much._

_Love you, Edward._

Even though I understood why Edward went out, I was mad that he didn't bother to talk to me before leaving. He knew that I hated to wake up and find him gone.

And yet, he insisted on doing it.

Damn.

_

* * *

_

_Edward_

I mustered all the strength I had to continue my attack on the punching bag. My t-shirt was drenched in sweat, and one look at the mirror told me I looked horrible. I had bags under my eyes from the lack of sleep. I knew I should have slept for more than three hours, but I just couldn't stop thinking long enough to relax.

When that happened, I usually went for a run in Central Park, but I didn't really felt like freezing my ass off, so going to the gym was the second best option.

"Okay, now that we're not on the treadmill anymore, you can start talking. I'm sure you didn't ask me to come just so I could watch you work out. I'm not your trainer, bro."

I took off the gloves and put them on the floor, silently telling Emmett that I was done training. The physical exertion had already calmed me down, but I needed to talk to another person before going home to Bella.

"So, it's a weird thing, and maybe I'm making a big deal out of this…" I started to ramble.

Damn, I was sounding like a seventeen-year-old girl with boy problems.

"You're starting to confuse me here. Just get to the point and you'll be fine."

"Last week, Bella told me she was invited to Tanya's party. I know I was an asshole to you and Jasper at the bar on Sunday. I guess I was being defensive, not that you were trying to attack me," I said as an apology before drinking some water from my bottle.

As usual, Emmett just raised both hands as if saying that I didn't need to worry about that anymore. After many years of stupid fights, we stopped with the whole apologizing ritual. Now, we were able to say sorry just with a nod.

"I realized you were right; I shouldn't go back to my friendship with Tanya without Bella knowing. So, I was ready to put this behind me, you know? Only talk to her at these social functions. When Bella told me about the party, I told her we didn't have to go. Turned out she wanted to go. I was completely confused, to say the least."

"Yeah, man. I know we're all grown up, but I didn't think Bella would want to be near Tanya."

"I know that Tanya is my ex, but I never really understood this hatred toward her."

"Don't try to. It's a girl thing, and we'll never get it." He waved his hand, clearly dismissing this subject. "Bella wanted to go to Tanya's party. What happened?"

"We went to the party, stayed for an hour and left. Everything was okay until Bella got an email. There's an article on Page Six saying that I might leave Bella for Tanya and some other shit. In short, Bella went kind of crazy. Well, not crazy, but she went to Tanya's hotel and said some things."

Emmett looked at me like I was crazy, and I knew what he was thinking about.

"Bella thought Tanya said these things to a journalist and confronted her? That doesn't sound like Bella at all."

It wasn't like Bella was a pushover, but she just wasn't a woman who would look for any kind of fight.

"That's not the worst. Bella got an email from Tanya's friend saying that she was the one who talked to the press and that Tanya was hurt by some of the things Bella said."

"Wow, that's crazy. What are you going to do?" Emmett asked, and I really didn't know what to answer. "I mean, they basically published shit about you."

"I'm not even worried about that."

Just like Bella had done, Emmett looked at me in surprise. God, did everybody expect me to just sue the _New York Post_? Yeah, I didn't really like to see my face in the paper, but this whole article was just ridiculous crap. Nobody that mattered to me would believe it, anyway.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I understood you. Edward, you hate the media. You had security at your wedding to stop them from taking pictures. Why is this different?"

"It just is, okay? My wedding was a private thing; it doesn't matter if we come from an old money family, or whatever they call it. This is just a story they made up."

"So, if you're not mad with what they wrote, why are you so stressed out?"

"I'm not stressed out, okay? It's just…" I stopped talking because I couldn't really vocalize what I was thinking. How could I try to explain something that I didn't really understand?

I knew it was stupid, but I felt a little upset that Bella didn't talk to me about this before going to Tanya. I got that she was mad and wanted to clear up the situation, I just didn't agree with how she did it.

"I know we used to say we had some kind of sibling connection when we were kids, but we don't. So, you have to talk to me so I can understand you," Emmett said, talking to me like I was a five-year-old child, causing me to roll my eyes.

"I hate that this fucking article upset Bella so much, but I just can't agree with how she handled things. Am I a jerk to not support her?"

That was it. I officially sounded like a seventeen-year-old girl.

"No, you're not a jerk. Look, just talk to Bella and find out what really happened. Then you can make your conclusions," he suggested while shrugging his shoulders. I hated that he could make everything sound simple. "I know you like to come here to let off some steam, but you can't keep leaving your pregnant wife because you don't feel like talking."

His words made something inside me clench with guilt. I was already feeling bad for going out while she was asleep, but hearing someone else saying it made it worse.

"Yeah, you're right. Damn, when did you become the mature one?"

Instead of answering my question, Emmett just laughed and slapped me on the shoulder lightly. Well, Emmett's definition of lightly.

"I'm gonna shower and so should you, man. You stink." His face scrunched up in disgust.

"Thanks for everything, Em." My voice was casual, but we both knew the underlying meaning.

"You're my little brother, don't worry about it." He smiled and ruffled my hair, making it even messier.

Having that talk with him made me feel so much better. So much I wasn't even annoyed with his "big brother" gesture.

* * *

"I was looking for you," I said as soon as I opened the office door. Sitting on the leather couch, Bella almost dropped her laptop in surprise. Her clumsiness was so cute that I had to smile. "You never come here."

It was true. Even though Bella had almost begged me to incorporate a small library in the office, she rarely stayed in the room.

"Yeah, and you always complain about that," she replied without taking her eyes off the screen.

I almost flinched at how cold she was being. It may sound foolish, but I had expected her to be a little mad and call me names. I didn't think she would just ignore me.

"We need to talk." I moved from my place near the door to sit on the couch next to Bella. She immediately tensed up, as if my proximity made her uncomfortable. When she refused to look at me again, I gently touched her chin to turn her head. The impatient expression that she was wearing started to concern me. "Bella, please."

"Why do I have to talk to you now? You didn't want to talk earlier. So much that you even ran to the gym." Her voice was angry, but I felt relieved. "Leaving a note, Edward? Really?"

Hell, anything was better than her indifference.

"It was stupid to leave like that. There was a lot on my mind, and I just needed to get out." I tried to explain, but I could see that she wasn't in the mood for my excuses. "I'm sorry."

Her lips curled in a sardonic smile and she focused on the computer again.

"As long as you're sorry," she muttered while nearly jabbing at the keyboard. I was pretty sure that she was trying not to slap me on the face. Maybe I should just let her calm down, but I would probably forget what I was planning to say.

"Okay, I'll say it. I was so tired before that I didn't have any patience to hear the whole story. If it made you so upset, I want to hear it." I reached to take her hand and was not surprised when she moved it away. Okay, this was one of the times when only my charm would be able to save me. "Please, I hate that you're not sharing this with me."

Bella sighed, and I could see that her resolve was breaking.

"I'm not mad that you didn't want to hear the whole story at that moment. I just don't like it that you chose to sneak out instead of talking to me." She closed the laptop and placed it next to her on the couch.

"I woke up, and there was so much in my head. You know me; I can't stay still when that happens. I wasn't trying to avoid you."

"I understand what you're trying to say, but when I read that note, I thought you were mad." Her previously strong voice was small, and that was when I realized that I had been really stupid.

"I'm sorry for making you feel upset, love." I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"It's okay. I think I'm being overly emotional."

That was what I had thought, but there was no way I would say it out loud.

"Okay, you can tell me what happened with Tanya and the article. I'm ready to hear the whole story."

"Alice sent me a text telling me to read yesterday's _Page Six_. I did and when I saw what the article was saying, I got really mad." Her hands balled up in fists, and I could tell she was getting angry just by telling what happened. "I mean, who does that? Why would someone just tell that to the press?"

"And you thought that Tanya was responsible?"

"Yeah. It didn't cross my mind that one of her friends would do this. I was so angry that I needed to do something. Then Jules came here to give me some things from work, and she knew where Tanya is staying."

"So you went to the, uh, her hotel?" I almost said the hotel's name, but I was able to catch myself. As much as I wanted to be honest and tell her about the time I met up with Tanya, this was not the right occasion to do that.

"Yes, I went there and told her that she should stay away from us."

I looked at Bella like she had grown a second head. I knew that nobody was perfect, but Bella always ran from arguments. She kept quiet even when her work mates told her to her face she didn't deserve her position at the magazine. It was almost funny how her distaste for Tanya could make her do out of character things.

"Edward?" Bella asked in a concerned voice when I didn't say anything right away. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm just really surprised. You hate getting involved in any kind of conflict."

"I know, but I felt like I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. Saying those things to her was amazing, actually."

"Well, are you going to do something about this Addison? She is the one who talked to the press. We can talk to her together; ask her why she did this," I offered, because I wanted to show Bella that I cared about this. I wanted us to solve things as a couple.

"I don't know, probably not." Bella shrugged. "Maybe it's better to put this behind us. It's a stupid thing, after all."

"Are you serious?" My voice was confused and I couldn't help frowning. A few hours ago, Bella seemed to be completely outraged with the article about us. How in the hell was she acting so nonchalant about it now?

A small voice in my head whispered that her new attitude probably had something to do with Tanya.

"Yes, I'm serious. I have to focus on some other things right now." She gestured to her laptop and her stomach.

"I just don't get it. Why are you willing to let this go so easily when you were so mad before?"

"I don't know, Edward, I just am!" Bella snapped, and I could tell she didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"Were you so angry because you thought that Tanya was behind it?" I figured that it would be better to just say what I had been thinking. When she didn't answer, I reached out to take her hand. "Come on, you can tell me how you're feeling."

"There isn't anything left to discuss. The article was published; I got upset, talked to Tanya and now I'm over it." She was trying to sound impatient, but her voice wavered a little.

"I'm glad that this talk you had with Tanya made you feel better, but don't you think you were a little unfair? I mean, you accused her of something she didn't do."

"Are you serious? Do you want me to apologize to your ex-girlfriend?" Bella quickly pulled her hand so it wasn't touching mine anymore.

"This has nothing to do with Tanya being my ex-girlfriend. Actually, it does. You thought that Tanya was responsible for this crap because she was my girlfriend. I don't want you to apologize to her; I just think it would be nice to talk to her and this Addison to clear the air."

"I think you're missing the point here, Edward. I don't want to clear the air; I don't care how Tanya is feeling, to be honest."

This was one of the times when I didn't know how to react. Thankfully, angry Bella wasn't something I was used to.

"You may not care, but you practically humiliated her."

"I didn't humiliate her; I just called her out on her mistakes!" Her face was getting red from her semi screams.

"Look, I know that you were mad and upset. Hell, I would be too, if I were in your shoes. But accusing Tanya without evidence is unfair."

Defending my ex-girlfriend to my wife could seem a little screwed up, but I would've done it for anyone. Bella's eyes narrowed, and I was almost certain she was trying to hurt me just by looking at me.

"You know what? I don't need to listen to this right now," Bella said while grabbing her laptop and then standing up. "We can talk about something else later."

She gave me one last look before leaving the room. I sighed and let my head fall in frustration.

Shit, I really didn't think it would go this way.

I hated to argue with Bella. This time it was even worse, because both of us were right. While I understood that Bella didn't appreciate me telling her that some of her actions were faulty, there was no way I wouldn't speak my mind.

I stared at my phone for a few seconds, wondering if I should go with my gut and sort this mess out by myself. If I did it, Bella would probably be pissed off and I would receive more of the silent treatment. But if I ignored the matter, I would feel like crap for not doing anything.

So, I made my decision and reached for the BlackBerry. I quickly found the number I was looking for and pressed the button to make the call.

"Hey, Tanya. Look, I know what happened between you and Bella, and we need to talk. Can you call your friend Addison Morrell so the three of us can meet?" I asked, practically in one breath.

"Yeah, it's okay. Can we meet here, I mean, at the hotel's restaurant?" Her voice was small, and I wondered if she was really like Addison had described in her email.

"That's fine, we're not going to take too long. I have to go to work later. So, I'll see you tomorrow, at one?"

"Sure, I'll call Addison and we'll see you there," she said quickly and hung up.

I set the phone down and sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Just from hearing Tanya's voice, I could tell that the words she exchanged with Bella had not been pretty.

Clearly, doing damage control wouldn't be easy.

Why did I decide to be the bigger person, again?

**A/N: Just wanted to thank PTB, my new beta Larue and everyone who reviewed last chapter! Oh, I'm anxious to hear if you agree or disagree with what Edward did. Was anyone surprised that Tanya didn't have anything do with the article?**


	9. His apologies and his secret

_Bella_

Bella, do you want me to take a look at the first draft of your Lagerfeld article?"

I heard Jules' voice, but I was too distracted with my thoughts to actually understand what she was talking about. My mind wouldn't stop replaying the argument I had with Edward, so I wasn't really able to concentrate on anything else at the moment.

"Bella?" Jules called me again, this time tapping me on the shoulder. I turned my head to look at her. "Are you okay?"

Even with the million things inside my head, I remembered that it would be better to put on a smile so Jules wouldn't get concerned. The woman could seem like a 'New York bitch', but she was a loyal and protective friend. Not to mention that she always seemed to be aware of what was wrong with me.

"I'm fine. I would be better if I didn't have so much to do, actually." I gestured to my open laptop and the piles of papers on my desk. "I just finished sorting these papers out, you know? There's a pile for the promising designers, the ones to go to the trashcan."

I was hoping that my explanation and the mention of designers would change the topic of our conversation, but I could tell that my strategy hadn't worked just by the way one of Jules' eyebrow was raised.

I really hated how she was able to question me without even saying anything.

"Come on, you really need to learn how to come up with good excuses. You love when we're all crazy busy around here. Besides, you came in, stayed quiet as a mouse and didn't even tell me what happened with that Tanya."

Oh yeah, Tanya. It felt like her name was following me everywhere I went. Really, I just wanted a magical eraser to get her out of my life. Especially now that Edward and I had an argument because of her.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." I regretted the words that left my mouth the second I said them. I should have remembered that they only made people even more curious.

"It's okay if you slapped her, I'm not going to judge, I promise." She raised her right hand as if she was about to testify, making me smile a bit.

"There was no violence involved, Jules," I said while shaking my head. Maybe it wasn't worth mentioning that my words were harsh and were probably more hurtful than a slap on the face.

"So, did she say why she did it?"

"She didn't do it," I deadpanned, trying not laugh at the way her jaw dropped in surprise. "Her friend was the one who did it." My mind went back to the email I had received.

"Why would someone do this? Do you think Tanya asked her friend to do this?"

It may sound horrible and immature, but I kind of wished Tanya was behind this. Then Edward wouldn't be acting like I was this inconsiderate person. I did regret some of the things I said, but I was overwhelmed at that moment. It had felt like I would explode if I didn't tell Tanya what was in my mind.

"No, she didn't. This friend is a PR, event planner, or something like that. She wanted to get some more press attention for the party, so she talked to this journalist," I explained, keeping my voice emotionless and looking at my nails. "It worked like a charm."

When I finished talking, I looked up to see that Jules was frowning. Maybe she was surprised at how calm I seemed to be. That was when I realized something.

There was a possibility of Edward being right, after all. The anger I felt towards Addison, the real culprit, was nothing when compared to how I despised Tanya after I'd read the article. Maybe I had been so upset with this whole thing because I thought Tanya was behind it.

"Wow, that's surprising," Jules said breaking the silence.

"Tell me about it."

I didn't think anyone could be more surprised than me. I mean, Tanya denied having anything to do with the article and I still didn't believe her.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm not going to do anything. I'm done with this high school drama. Besides, Edward is taking care of things right now."

"That's nice of him. I can't think of many guys who would actually go and have a talk to solve the problem." Her eyes were kind of glistening, and I attributed that to her usual admiration towards Edward.

"Yeah, but precious Edward wanted me to have a lunch with Tanya to sort things out," I muttered without thinking.

Crap, I had turned into a fourteen year old girl. Again.

"Really? That would've been an awkward lunch," Jules chuckled, probably trying to lighten the mood. It didn't really work, and I glared at her a little. "Okay, sorry. I'm sure you didn't like his idea."

"I actually hated the idea."

I was willing to admit that I had gone a little overboard when handling the problem. I guessed I had been so anxious to show Tanya that I was in control that I ignored the fact that I was basically accusing her without any proof.

However, I didn't reallyt want to go and have lunch with her. Especially because that would be completely hypocritical of me. After all, I didn't regret everything I had said, so it wasn't like I could do a half apology.

Not to mention that it would be embarrassing to be all sorry after I talked to her with so much confidence. The whole image of the fearless, strong woman I wanted Tanya to have of me would be gone.

"Bella, I didn't think you would be upset. Sorry," she said with a caring voice. "Well, at least you can just forget about this, right?"

I nodded, even though I didn't really agree with her. The situation wasn't really over, as Edward had decided to go and have lunch with Tanya and Addison to clear things up.

"Well, yeah. Edward is doing the apologizing for both of us."

"Are you saying he actually…" she made a gesture with her hands, trying to find the right words.

"Yeah, he decided to meet with Tanya and her friend today."

"And you're okay with that? You've gotta be the most mature twenty something woman I know."

Well, I wasn't really_ okay_ with it, but it was more like I was relieved. For some reason, I preferred Edward to go apologize to her than do it myself. Oddly enough, I wasn't afraid of Edward meeting with his ex.

"The crazy-for-attention woman who decided that it would be nice to reveal other people's personal matters will be there. I don't think Edward and Tanya are going to reconnect."

"Oh no, that's not what I mean. I don't know, him apologizing for something you've done is a little weird. It's kinda like he's your dad and he had to talk to the principal because you beat up a kid at school." Jules laughed at what she had said. "That thought was stupid, sorry."

I let out a forced chuckle so Jules wouldn't notice how uncomfortable I had become. Jules' words made me stop and reflect for a moment.

And the conclusion I reached after the moment didn't make me happy. At all.

* * *

I closed the door of the penthouse with a click, relieved to be finally home. After not being at work for two days, everyone was rushing to get things done in a timely manner. The whole day was pretty much filled with writers sending me tons of articles to edit, having to sort out designers, amongst other thing. So, it was safe to say that I was now completely exhausted.

"I thought you would be at the hospital at this time," I commented when I saw Edward sitting on the couch, reading a paper.

It was five in the afternoon, and all I wanted was to take a hot shower and relax. As horrible as it may sound, I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't have to deal with Edward.

"Yeah, I had a conference earlier, but I only have to be at the hospital in forty minutes." He closed the paper, setting it down, and looked at me. I could tell by his analyzing green eyes that he was trying to know what I was thinking. As soon as I realized what he was trying to do, I broke the eye contact so he wouldn't be able to read me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm great," I said quickly, taking off my coat.

"You don't look like you're feeling okay, though." He raised his eyebrows, as if trying to make me confess that I wasn't feeling well.

I just rolled my eyes, getting annoyed with him. The fatherly way he was treating me had never bothered me so much like it was in this moment. It was like I could actually hear Jules saying that Edward was acting like my dad, and that only made the knot in my throat get even tighter.

"If I say I'm fine, I'm fine. You don't have to keep asking over and over again," I muttered before finally looking up so he could see the irritation in my eyes.

Like I had expected, Edward was able to read me like the open book I was.

"Okay, what's going on? Did something happen at work?"

"No, nothing happened."

"What's wrong, then?" He got up and walked up to me.

I wanted to tell him that I had a headache and go up to the bedroom. My mind was practically begging me to dismiss what I'd been thinking and not to mention Tanya anymore.

"So, how was your lunch?"

Apparently, my mouth was not in synch with my mind.

"I didn't think you'd last that long," Edward said, looking like he was trying not to chuckle. "Lunch was fine. It wasn't fun or anything like that."

"Oh, really?" I crossed my arms the exact moment Edward reached to embrace me. He understood what the gesture meant, and kept his hands to himself.

"Bella, I went there to clear things up. We exclusively talked about what happened, not about their love lives."

"So, you sat there and kept apologizing on my behalf. Was that what happened?"

Edward's expression ranged from surprise at my tone to frustration. Maybe I was being too dramatic, but I didn't care.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Bella. Addison apologized for what she did, and explained her reasons."

"What about Tanya?" I had to ask. Somehow, Edward not mentioning her didn't seem like a good thing.

"She told me what happened. That you went to the Astoria and you had a one sided argument, and then you left."

"Did she act like a helpless victim?"

From what I've remembered, Tanya had a talent to manipulate people like no other.

"No. Tanya said she didn't understand why you accused her. Addison said that she talked to the journalist at the party without Tanya's knowledge. At first, she asked for everything to be off record, but changed her mind when she realized that she wouldn't get as much press as expected. So, she told the reporter he could write something about what she had said. He decided to go with the most…controversial, I guess."

"And you're okay with that?" I had to ask, just because his voice seemed too calm for the situation.

"Of course I'm not okay with that! She caused all this stress just so the party she planned would be on Page Six. I think it's ridiculous and completely inconsiderate, but what else can I do? I know how upset you got, so I asked her to get in contact with the guy so he can write a retraction."

There was an uncomfortable silence, especially because he had this expectant look on his face and I didn't know what to say. I was still surprised that Edward managed to solve the problem in one lunch.

"So you hate her because she's my ex girlfriend?" Edward asked curiously when I stayed quiet.

I felt my jaw drop a little in surprise. We didn't talk too much about Tanya, to say the truth.

"I don't hate her," I assured him.

Hate was an emotion as strong as love. So, there was no way I harbored something like that for Tanya. When it came to her, all I felt was extreme annoyance, maybe.

Edward raised an eyebrow, silently saying "really?"

"Look, I don't care. I'm in no place to dictate who you are friends with; you're old enough to decide that for yourself. If you don't want to have any contact with Tanya, you don't have to have any contact with her. But it's wrong to just go to her and start accusing her of something. Especially when you don't have any proof."

I had already heard this whole speech in the day before, and I wasn't really up for another rant on how unfair I had been and all that.

"I had a long day. All I want to do is take a hot shower and go to sleep, but I can't because I still have lots of articles to edit. So, can you please stop with this talk right now?"

His expression softened and he exhaled.

"You're right; I'm sorry. Please, don't get upset." Edward touched my cheek with the palm of his hand.

"I'm not upset, Edward. I'm just…" I trailed off, wondering if I should say what I was thinking. I mean, the subject was pretty much over, since Edward recognized that I was right. However, I was afraid that if I didn't say anything, I would regret it for the rest of the day.

"I didn't want you to go to this lunch." My voice was almost a whisper, but I was sure he had heard me.

"Now you confused me, Bella. I told you I wanted to go to lunch with Tanya and Addison to fix this mess because I know it really bothered you. That was when you said I should go alone because you didn't want to talk to them. If you didn't want me to go, why didn't you say so?"

"I don't know why."

"Look, I would love to be able to read your mind, but I can't. Please try to understand that I was only trying to be fair and hear both sides of the story. I felt like I was in this awkward position because you're my wife, but I couldn't agree with what you did. I don't want you to think that this was me choosing Tanya over you."

I nodded, because after hearing him and having had time to think about what happened without the initial anger, I kind of got why Edward did what he did.

"I'm not going to lie. When you told me you made plans to have lunch with them, I felt betrayed. It was like you didn't want to support me and I'm your wife. So, I told you to go to this thing alone because I didn't want to apologize to Tanya, and…" I was starting to ramble, so I took a deep breath to try to reorganize my thoughts. "What I want to say is…I understand that you were trying to be fair and why you thought that this reunion with them would be a good thing."

Edward's face broke into a bright and relieved smile.

"I love you." He wrapped his arms around my body in a tight embrace, but instead of hugging him with the usual fervor, I awkwardly patted him on the pack.

Just because I'd said I understood, it didn't mean that the 'Edward acts like your father sometimes' comment had left my mind. It was still was still in there, but I didn't want to mention it now. We were finally on the same page, so my tendency to bottle things up and the fear of ruining this moment of peace made me stay quiet.

"I have to take a shower," I said while stepping away from his embrace. There was a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but he managed to cover it up quickly.

I had to admit that I liked to see Edward disappointed because I couldn't stay with him. After that moment of stress, it was nice to see the Edward I was used to.

"Oh, okay. I can see that you're tired, and you want to rest." He put his hands on my shoulders in a caring way. "I have to go back to the hospital in an hour. I wished I could stay with you, though."

"It's okay; I have a bunch of articles to keep me company." I gestured to my handbag, making him chuckle.

"Maybe they will be more entertaining than me."

"I won't answer that because I don't want to hurt your delicate ego."

"Ouch, Bella." In a dramatic way, Edward put one hand on his chest as if he had been hurt.

"Sorry." I shrugged as if I didn't care, but my lips were curled in a small smile.

Even if I was still a little bothered with him, I really missed our banters.

_

* * *

_

_Edward_

I checked my watch to see that it was three in the afternoon. I still had a couple of hours before I could go home, but that amount of time seemed to be bigger than it actually was. Maybe because I had been in a five-hour surgery, and now that I had some time to lie down, I realized that I just couldn't get to sleep.

Damn, I hated when my personal life started to interfere with my work. I was lucky that it was a slow afternoon here. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in good shape.

I thought that after I talked to Tanya and Addison and solve the whole 'media problem', everything would go back to normal. Two days had passed and that still hadn't happened yet.

It wasn't like Bella was giving me the cold shoulder, but there was some kind of awkwardness between us. The last time we were awkward with each other was in college, right after our first kiss, before we became an official couple. That whole sexual tension was cute years ago, but it was starting to worry me now.

You know when people say you never know how much you love something until it's gone?

Bella made me a firm believer of that theory.

I never realized how much I loved cuddling with her while watching crappy movies or the way she made sure to wake up early and give me a goodbye kiss.

Now, it felt like there was an invisible wall between us. Bella still normally talked to me and all, but I could tell that she was getting a little detached. Sometimes, it was like she looked at me as if she had something to say, but she didn't say anything and then I couldn't tell what was happening.

The worst thing about this?

I knew that I was partly responsible for the uncomfortable atmosphere in our house. Things seemed so simple inside my head that I didn't even consider that there would be a big problem later.

Maybe my decision to meet up with Addison and Tanya was misinterpreted. Yeah, I thought it would fair to maybe apologize to Tanya, but that was not really why I wanted to have lunch with them. If the article was only related to me, I would've ignored just like I did with many others, but now it was involving Bella. That was why I thought it was reasonable to talk to them. In hindsight, I should've told Bella the main reason why I decided to do this.

Now that some time had passed, I could see that I had been too hard on Bella. I should've been more understanding, and tried to see the situation through Bella's eyes. Somehow, the unfair way that Bella handled things had bothered me so much that it was the main thing I was focused on.

"Damn, Edward, why didn't you tell her that before?" I muttered to myself, annoyed that I hadn't been able to explain everything I was feeling to Bella. Now, I was afraid to bring up the subject and make things worse.

Well, I couldn't deal with the horrible circumstances we were living in, so I knew I had to do something. And I thought I had the perfect idea.

I reached for my phone on the bed, and quickly dialed the familiar number.

"Hello, sweetheart," my mother answered after three rings with her affectionate voice.

"Hey Mom," I said, feeling a little relieved to be talking to her. While I didn't discuss my marriage life with her, talking to my mom when things weren't so good always helped me. I was a mama's boy and there was no point in denying it. "I need your help."

"Edward, what did you do this time?" she asked, her tone showing concern. I laughed at that, remembering that I used to call her saying I needed help when I was in trouble.

"No, Mom. It's not like that, don't worry. I kind of need tickets to the ballet for tomorrow evening."

"Only two tickets?"

"Yeah, I want to take Bella out. It's been too long since we went to a ballet and I know how much she loves it. So, do you think you can get orchestra seats?"

That last question was pretty much rhetorical, as I knew that it only took one phone call for her to get any ticket she wanted.

My grandfather's family was a traditional one, and they had always supported the arts here in New York for many decades. When my grandpa died, he left a fund so the tradition could be continued and mom took care of that like it was her baby. So, the New York City Ballet received a very generous donation every year, and we always had tickets available for us.

"I'll call Andrea to get them for you."

"Thanks, Mom. Can you please tell her not to send them to my house? I have to work tomorrow and I don't want to risk Bella seeing them. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh, I see that this is a romantic gesture."

I could picture the smile she had on her face just by hearing her voice.

"Yeah, I'm trying something new."

"I'll call you when they're here so you can pick them up, okay?"

"Okay, thank you so much. I'm still at the hospital, so I can't talk for too long. But, do you think you can help me with some other things?"

And then I proceeded to tell her what I was planning to do and where her help would be really useful to me.

I didn't know if everything would work out, but in my head my plan sounded brilliant.

* * *

I shoved my hands inside the front pockets of my pants so I would stop looking so nervous. Especially because I realized that I was starting to scare people by the way I was walking from one side to another and cracking my fingers every five minutes.

It was the perfect setting, with the sun almost down and snowflakes falling lightly. I was afraid that if Bella didn't get here soon, this perfection would be gone. So, where was she? I had given specific instructions to the driver regarding the time.

Just when I was about to move to get my phone, a black limo pulled up. Despite being relieved that Bella was finally here, I started to get a little anxious. Did I go too far with the limo? I knew Bella didn't really like when I spent money without a good reason, but I figured that this could be considered a special occasion.

I hurried to open the door and offered my hand to help Bella get of the car. She took it and gave me a small grateful smile.

"Edward, what's going on?"

Her confused expression was so adorable that I couldn't help but leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"Isn't it a little obvious?" I gestured to the background.

Lincoln Center was one of our favorite places in town, and it brought memories from when we were younger and first moved here. That's why I figured this would be the best place for us to rekindle.

"I know where we are, I just don't understand what's happening." She waved the various notes I had left her. "What are these?"

"Some of them are instructions and some of them are clues. But you're here now, so I think you were able to interpret everything fine."

"How did you do all of this?"

"You're a routine person, did you know that? I knew you were going to check you're inbox when you were done editing the articles. That's why I sent you that email. Did you like the surprise, though?"

"I can't say I didn't. How did you get so many types of flowers?"

I grinned, silently thanking my mother for taking care of the flowers for me. I knew that I wouldn't be able to write down the little notes, place them in the apartment for Bella to find, hire the car service and make sure I was picking out the right flowers.

There is only so much a guy can do right.

"I had help with those, but I was completely responsible for writing the notes. I have to say that it was really hard."

"Okay, so what did the last one mean?" Bella went through the various cards before finding the one she wanted. "_When you reach your last destination, you'll get the thing you miss the most and see a fairytale come true._" She read it out loud, making me grin.

I was particularly proud of my creativity in writing this one.

"So I figured that this whole game would leave you hungry, so we should fuel up before the main attraction. I remembered that you've been trying to eat healthier things with the pregnancy, so I decided to give you what you miss the most." I pointed to the direction with my jaw.

Her face lightened up instantly when she saw what I was talking about.

"P.J. Clarke's?"

"Everyone deserves a burger with fries, even pregnant ladies. Now, can we go?" I glanced down at my watch to check the time before offering her one arm. "We have at least two hours."

"Two hours for what?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out later, okay?"

I was sure I looked like an idiot, but I just couldn't stop grinning at the complete look of satisfaction on Bella's face as she ate the burger. A stranger would probably think that she was one of those people who had never had meat in their lives.

Aware of my fixed stare, Bella stopped eating and smiled sheepishly.

"Was I starting to make sexual sounds?" she asked in a worried voice, looking around to check if anyone was staring at her.

"No, you're not making any sounds. You're just eating the burger amazingly fast."

"You were right. Burger and fries was the thing I missed the most. How did you know that?"

"We live together and I think you've complained about that more times than I can count."

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine." I waved one hand dismissively, telling her not to worry about it. "We need to talk, Bella."

I regretted saying that as soon as the words left my mouth. Hearing "we need to talk" was never a nice thing and I didn't want Bella to think that our conversation was going to be a bad one. The last time I said that, we got into an argument. All I wanted now was for us to have an honest talk.

"Wait, are we going to talk about Tanya again? Because I thought we were over that."

"No, not about Tanya, I don't want to talk about her in our evening. It's just that I feel like there's something bothering you and for some reason, you won't tell me," I finally said what I had been thinking, and then looked at Bella to see her reaction.

"There's nothing wrong." She looked down and started to swirl her wedding ring around her finger.

Bella always did that when she was lying.

"Come on, Bella. I can tell that there's something wrong. Please tell me what it is so I can try to fix it."

There was a small silence before she sighed deeply.

"There are times when you act like you're my father," she confessed in one breath, and it took a few seconds for me to process what she had said.

And now that I had processed it, I didn't really know what to think. Acting like a father? Maybe I was starting to get into the role a little too soon.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, needing a little more explanation on the matter.

"I don't know, you can be a little too protective and then you try to make decisions for both of us. You know that this didn't end up well the last time," Bella said the last sentence in a small voice.

I closed my eyes, trying very hard to keep the bad thoughts away. This was supposed to be a romantic and joyful evening, and I had no intention to spoil it with bad memories.

"You're right; I can act like that sometimes. I know that it's going to sound weird, but I think it's because for a long time you were like my little sister. I used to protect you and Alice when we were younger, so maybe I still act like that. It's completely unintentional and I know it's wrong because you're my wife."

I never wanted to act like her father, but I kind of understood why she was telling me that. There were times when I wanted to make sure she was alright, and I went overboard with it. Not only that, but I had always been bossy.

So, probably my concern with Bella and my bossiness wasn't a nice combination.

"If you feel like I'm treating you like a child again, please tell me. I don't want you to suffer in silence, so to speak."

"I didn't want to say anything because I thought it would bring up the whole Tanya debacle again."

"It doesn't matter if you bring up what happened. If you need to talk about it, then we're going to do it, okay?"

She just nodded, staying silent and I took that as an opportunity to continue talking.

"I would really like to put all of this behind us. No more Tanya drama for us, we should be worrying about everything related to the little person inside of you." I pointed to her stomach with a smile, before remembering that I had to be careful with the time. "Okay, you have ten minutes before we have to go."

"Where are we going?" she asked after taking a big bite of her burger.

I got the two tickets from my pocket and showed them to Bella. Her eyes widened in excitement when she read them and saw where we were going next.

"I told you that you were going to see a fairytale come true. What fairytale is better than _The Sleeping Beauty_? You keep saying that _Romeo and Juliet_ is your favorite, but I know that you prefer Sleeping Beauty because it doesn't make you cry throughout the whole thing."

"They die in the end, Edward. How can I not cry?" she pouted adorably, causing me to chuckle a little.

"It's okay. I'm just saying you won't have to cry tonight. Are you done eating?" I asked, looking at her plate that was almost empty. She nodded and I raised an arm to call the waitress. "We'll just get the check and go, okay?"

Bella smiled before stealing a fry from my plate.

"Thank you for this day. I know you're working for us to be in a better place after what happened and I appreciate it."

"Thank_ you_ for understanding me. I know there are times when I say a lot of stupid stuff I don't mean and do things I end up regretting later."

"We all say and do things we end up regretting, Edward. I'm not going to let us suffer for that."

It was like her words had lifted a weight off my shoulders. Getting Bella to understand me was a huge relief.

The waitress finally arrived with the check. I took a quick look at it, and put some bills on the table. I was sure that the waitress would want to kiss me because of the tip I left her.

"Let's go." I got up and moved to help Bella.

I was so happy that I almost skipped my way to the theater.

"Bella, what are you doing?"I looked up from my book and asked when I saw her crossing the living room again for the fifth time. Now she was holding an empty cardboard box.

"Oh, I figured I should do some spring cleaning. It's almost March, after all."

"What are you going to clean?"

Because both of us had such demanding jobs, we agreed that it would be better to hire a cleaner to make sure that the apartment wouldn't become a pigsty. So, I didn't think that there was any spring cleaning left for Bella to do.

"I'm not going to clean; it's more like organize things a little better. There are lots of things we don't use anymore, so we can give them to someone who needs it. I'm going to start with the library!"

"Please remember that the library is also my office!" I called out, but she continued walking. "Don't throw away any of my books!"

"It's okay!" Bella yelled from the hallway, making me feel a little better. I didn't really think she would give any of my medical books away, but it didn't hurt to remind her. Besides, I knew how Bella could get when she was excited.

I went back to my hematology book, and continued reading it for another fifteen minutes. That was when I felt a hand tapping me on the shoulder. I turned my head around with a smile.

"If you want to throw that-" I started to say but stopped as soon as I saw the expression on Bella's face. "What's wrong?"

She was holding a paper, and I felt my heart beat against my chest like crazy when I recognized it. I was almost sure that my face had paled, and it was matching hers.

"Edward, what is this?" She practically slammed the paper on my chest, but I was too surprised to catch it.

All I could do was look at Bella and pray that everything would be okay. Even if I wasn't too sure that my prayers would be answered.

**A/N: First of all, I want to thank the amazing betas at PTB, my other beta Larue and everyone who reviewed last chapter. I was going to update this on Friday, but my birthday is on Friday, and I'd be kind of busy, so I decided to update earlier. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm trying to update the story every two weeks. So, I'll try to be back in two weeks with another chapter, okay? So, if you want to give me a birthday present, you can review!**


	10. Just the tip of the iceberg

_Bella_

The silence in the room was uncomfortable, but I couldn't speak. I had so many questions inside my head that I wasn't able to just focus on one. So, I figured that it would be better to let Edward try to explain things.

Edward stared at me with a nervous expression; I could tell he was trying to guess what I was thinking. He quickly leaned down to pick up the paper that had fallen on the floor and took a look at it.

"Where did you find this?" he asked, looking at the paper as if he couldn't believe that it was real.

"Between your old books." I really hoped that Edward wouldn't try to change the focus of the conversation by saying that I was going through his things. He looked a little desperate, so I wouldn't have put it past him. "Can you please tell me what that is?"

"Look, there's a reason and-"

I could tell that he was about to start rambling, making excuses, so I decided to interrupt him. I didn't have enough patience for that.

"Let me try to make easier for you to explain, okay?" My voice got ten times meaner, and Edward seemed to be really surprised at that. After all, I didn't really use that tone when we fought. "This paper says that you reserved a hotel room in Sardinia under the name of Tanya Denali. You know what's funny? This is not from when you two dated in high school; it's from more than three years ago!"

By the time I finished talking, I was breathing heavily. I guessed that it was because I had yelled the last words. Usually, I would try to keep my composure, but I was too frustrated to stay calm. And Edward being all silent when I wanted him to just explain things was not helping.

"This reservation was kind of a favor I did for her, nothing else," he said, but he didn't sound too confident. It was so obvious he was lying that it was a little ridiculous.

That ridiculous lie made me even more upset than I was already. If he wanted to deceive me, the least he could do was to come up with a better story.

"Edward, I'm sure that you spending more than five thousand Euros so your ex-girlfriend can go to Sardinia is more than a favor. Can you please stop with the crap now?"

He sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. It looked like he was trying to figure out what to tell me. When he opened his mouth to say something, I could feel my heart beating faster than ever before and my palms started to get sweaty.

You know these people that prefer being fooled than having to face the truth? I was beginning to understand them for the first time. I wanted to know what was happening, but I didn't want my whole life to be turned upside down.

Damn, I wished I had a little time machine so I wouldn't have found this freaking paper. I just didn't want to feel this scared and worried anymore.

This was even worse than the time we broke up a few years ago, right before Edward started his medical residency.

"Bella, I want to explain things, but not like this. You're clearly upset, your face is red and you're shaking."

I almost told him to shut up and get on with this explanation, but he was right. One quick look at my hand confirmed that I was indeed shaking. That was when the lightheadedness hit me and I had to sit down on one of the armchairs.

"Are you okay?" he asked, rushing to my side. "Wait, I'm going to get you some water."

He brought a water bottle from the kitchen in record time and was back kneeling by my side.

"Thanks," I said unscrewing the cap and taking a big gulp. "I'm okay, Edward. Stress does that sometimes, you know?"

Edward looked down in shame, making me feel a little bad for saying that.

"Can we please discuss this some other time? When you're not feeling sick, I mean."

"This subject is the problem, can't you see? Waiting is not going to make me feel any better," I tried to argue, even if I already knew that it was a lost cause. Nothing was more important to Edward than my health and the baby's.

"Please, Bella."

There was an internal battle going on, and I didn't know if I should agree with him or set my foot down. I knew he was really concerned with me, but at the same it felt like he was trying to dodge a bullet.

"No. I want to hear what you have to say. Let's just get this over with," I said forcefully, disagreeing with Edward.

"It's a-" His phone started to ring, and he looked to see who it was. "Edward Cullen."

From his formal tone alone, I could tell that this call was work related. My selfish side huffed in annoyance for a moment before remembering that sick people can't really wait.

"Damn. I'll be there in ten minutes, okay? Tell Carter to wait for me, please," he practically ordered into the phone and then hung up. "I'm sorry Bella, but this will have to wait. A patient was stable, but he needs surgery. I have to go."

"Wait, what about the other doctors?" There was my selfish side appearing again.

"He's my patient and I promised I would be performing his surgery. I'm really sorry we can't talk right now, but I have no idea how he's doing. I would love to stay and solve our problems, but that's impossible right now." Edward leaned down to brush his lips against my forehead, staying like that for a few seconds. "I'll call you when I find out how long the surgery will, okay?"

I nodded without saying anything. After all, what could I do or say? Edward was a doctor with responsibilities and I had always known that. I couldn't just complain that he had to leave to work.

* * *

Do you know what was worse than finding out something horrible? Not finding out at all and having to wonder what the problem was. I didn't want to have wait for Edward to get back. That was why I let my impatience move me and I went back to the office to look for something that would at least give me a clue.

There wasn't anything, just like I had expected. Even though I was kind of desperate to get the bottom of this, I knew Edward wouldn't be stupid to leave something incriminating in a place where I would easily find. Just by the way he reacted; I could tell that he probably didn't even remember that the paper existed.

I was back at square one. I didn't know what to do or even how to feel. I mean, Edward had spent thousands of Euros to buy Tanya an international trip. I knew that Edward could be very generous with his money sometimes, but this really didn't make any sense to me.

Ugh, my mind was going into overdrive. Why did he book this for her? Was this really a favor, or was this a gift of some sort? Even worse, was this some kind of present he gave her because they were having an affair? The thought of Edward and Tanya having an affair caused a horrible feeling to spread through my body.

This doubt was bothering me so much that I almost considered calling Tanya to clear up the situation. Of course, I dismissed that idea as soon as it came up. After all that happened, I was sure that it would be better to talk to Edward before pointing fingers. Especially because I knew that I wouldn't be able to talk to her and keep my coolness.

The phone started to ring loudly, pulling me away from my thoughts. I was thankful for that for a second, but then I remembered that I was screening my phone calls. I didn't want to make small talk with Edward before he gave me a damn good explanation. So, I let the phone ringing and waited for the machine to pick up.

"Hey Bella, it's me. I thought you would be home right now."

I recognized my mother's voice and quickly reached to grab the phone before she could hang up. Normally I wouldn't want to talk to anybody while I was in this anxious, almost desperate state, but I figured that some motherly love was always helpful.

"Mom, hey! I just finished taking a shower and I was getting dressed." The small lie escaped my lips before I could think. I didn't know why, but I didn't want to tell her about what was happening in my life right now.

I guessed I didn't want to listen one of her "amazing" suggestions she was always offering to give me. Especially because I knew she could spend hours and hours telling me what the best way to solve my marital problems was.

"I'm so sorry for not calling you before! I've been really busy."

"It's okay, mom. I know what it's like to be so busy that you start to forget things."

For example, I was so busy with my own soap opera drama that I hadn't realized that it had been a while since I'd last talked to my mom.

"I went out yesterday and saw the cutest baby clothes ever! I know I was the one who told you to wait a little before you went all out spending money, but I couldn't resist. I had to buy them."

Her excited tone made me smile a little. Everything related to the baby caused me to brighten up, and I missed that. I wanted to focus on that rather than thinking about this predicament with Edward.

"I hope you didn't get too excited, mom. You told me yourself that the baby will outgrow the clothes soon," I reminded her, even though I completely understood that urge to buy everything inside a baby store.

"Well, I bought this pink frilly dress with a matching hat and a blue bodysuit with a matching cap. I thought about sending them to you, but I want to see your face when you first see them."

"I don't even know what I'm having yet, mom. Maybe it's better to spend money on neutral colored clothes." I could already imagine her coming home with tons of pink and blue garments.

"There's always the next one."

"Let me get this one out first," I said lightly, but that made think. Was there some kind of expectation on how many kids we would have? I really couldn't imagine myself with more than two kids. "It's nice to see you taking your role as I grandma so well."

"I'll admit that I'd have liked you to wait a little more, especially when you told me you were doing so well in your job. But who am I to say anything, right?"

Renee had married Charlie right after they graduated high school and she had me when she was young. I knew that she just wanted me to wait for the best moment to start having kids. I didn't know if this was the best moment, but it would have to be.

"But this doesn't matter anymore. The day you were born was the best day of my life, you know? I remembered that your father and I kept looking at you and wondering how we'd lived without you. Even after I divorced Charlie, I still love him because he helped me make you," she said in an emotional tone. "Not that I'm saying you'll divorce Edward. Hell would freeze over before that happens, but you'll realize how it is to be connected to someone like that."

Her last phrase stirred something inside me, and before I knew, there were tears falling onto my arm. I took a deep breath to control myself and so my mom wouldn't think something was wrong.

"You're right." My voice broke and I faked a cough, trying to cover my sniffles.

I didn't really like to cry in front of other people, my mom included, so I wanted to wait until our conversation was over to cry alone in my bed.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, mom. These hormones are killing me, that's all."

At least I could disguise my tears as a product of hormones instead of something more serious.

"I remember those. I remembered one time when I insisted that I needed to re-watch Disney movies, and the last one was Bambi. I spent the entire day crying, and Charlie had to comfort me," she said laughing.

I pictured a very uncomfortable Charlie trying to console her, and that comical mental image alone made it easier for me to continue talking to her without breaking down.

"Right now, the hormones aren't that bad. They just come and go, and it's like your small speech ignited something inside." I looked around the room distractedly, and a picture on the side table caught my eye.

That one had been taken last year in December, when the whole family went ice skating at Wollman Rink. A few months have passed, but it felt like years ago. Remembering that day took away most of my ability to control myself, and I realized that I had to finish this phone call.

"Mom, I really have to go now. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course. We still have so much to talk about!"

"In the meantime, please stay away from frilly dresses and lean more toward white onesies. That's what we need the most."

"Okay, but if I see another cute dress, I'll have to buy it."

I had to laugh at my mother's stubbornness.

"There's no reasoning with you, is there?"

"Not when it comes to my grandchild, no." She laughed at the unfamiliar word coming from her mouth. "There are times when I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother."

I nodded because I felt the same way every time I looked down or touched my bump.

"I really need to go. I'll call you tomorrow okay?" I felt bad that I came off as a little rude, but I was more anxious than anything.

"Okay, honey, please take care," Renee pleaded like she would to a child before hanging up.

I let out a deep, relieved sigh and set the phone down. Talking to my mother after weeks, even for fifteen minutes, was really nice. With everything going on in my life, just hearing her voice could be almost considered therapeutic. It made me feel better, but that speech about parenthood made me think.

Edward and I were supposed to be happy and scared that we would have a baby in less than year, but for this past month; we seemed to be in this infinite circle of fighting, crying, apologizing and making up. I didn't really notice at first because the time between fighting and making up was always short.

However, this 'fighting' felt different because it wasn't about something stupid that could be forgotten. I could tell by his panicked facial expression that whatever he had to say to explain himself would be a horrible thing, if not unforgivable.

Just the thought of having to go through another argument with Edward made me exhausted. I looked at the family photo again and remembered what Esme had said to us when she gave us the keys to the penthouse right before we left for our honeymoon. She told us that this apartment had always been a very special place for her and she wanted us to make new happy memories here.

As ridiculous as it sounded, I felt like I was somewhat tainting this place by filling it with so many bad memories. _What if Edward tells me some horrible truth right here in this room and then this place gets etched in my mind as the room where my marriage fell apart?_ I knew that sometimes a terrible memory could overshadow many good ones.

I was about to get up from the couch and go to my bedroom when the phone rang again. Just like the last time, I let the machine get it. When I heard who it was, I remembered why I wanted to make sure I knew who was calling before I picked up the phone.

"Bella, I know you're there and you clearly don't want to talk to me right now. I understand." Edward sighed, and I could imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose in anguish. "I'm calling just because I told you I would tell you how much longer I'll be here. I don't really know because the patient's condition is worse than I expected and…"he trailed off.

I guessed it was because he was trying to gather his thoughts and figure out what was the best thing to say. Even though I was upset and didn't really feel like talking to him, I could tell that he was very emotional right now and I wanted to pick up the phone and say that he should be focusing on the surgery instead of us.

"Please pick up the phone, please," he was almost begging, causing my heart to break a little. I was mad, but I didn't want Edward to be so shattered. "I just needed to hear your voice before I do this. We're going to get through this and everything's going to be fine, okay? I love you."

Even before the_ beep_, I was in tears. Unlike the quiet tears I was shedding before, this time I was sobbing, hiccupping to the point that I was having trouble breathing. It was almost like I was making up for all the times I had swallowed my tears. I knew I needed a moment to have a meltdown before I could recompose myself, but I didn't think there was so much inside of me that needed to be let out.

The sobs and hiccups subsided after some minutes. I had a headache and felt a little sick, but at least that sensation of my heart being constricted got better. Now that I had my therapeutic crying session, all I needed was to soak in the bathtub and try to forget about everything wrong in my life for an hour.

When I got to the bathroom upstairs, I was instantly greeted by the memory of the time Edward and I spent almost the whole afternoon in that huge bathtub, having wine. It had been our first day in the penthouse. Just by standing there, I could remember how amazingly perfect that day had been. Realizing that we came from a place full of happiness to _this _made me want to cry again.

"I can't stay here anymore," I muttered, going back to the bedroom. It took me a few seconds to fully realize what I had just said and a few more to come to the conclusion that it was true. It felt like I couldn't think properly while staying in this apartment.

So I went inside my closet and filled a bag with some clothes, just in case I didn't feel like coming back home today. Honestly, I didn't really want to be home alone, waiting for Edward to return from the hospital and wondering what was going to happen.

After the bag was packed and I had changed into clothes I could wear out, I went downstairs and wrote a note so Edward wouldn't think I had been kidnapped or something.

"Edward, I went out to think about what's happening. I couldn't sit around and wait for you anymore. I have my phone; please call me when you get back home so we can talk properly. Love, Bella." I read what I wrote out loud and set the piece of paper down on the small table near the couch.

It may sound bad, but I felt relieved the moment I stepped out of the apartment. Maybe all I needed was to get away from everything for some time.

* * *

Somehow I ended up in a suite at the Ritz Carlton. I had spent a good part of the morning going through baby boutiques and buying things, and then I went to a spa. I was anxiously waiting for Edward to call me and say he was ready for us to talk, but he just texted me, asking if I was home and telling me he wouldn't be able to get home any time soon.

I wasn't initially planning on staying in a hotel, but I didn't want to go back to our apartment or stay at Alice's or Rosalie's. This was one of the times when I didn't want to talk to my friends and explain what was wrong. Ordering room service and watching movies here wasn't so bad.

The phone rang and I looked at it with a frown. I had come here to try to escape from all the bad things happening in my life right now, so I really didn't expect anyone to find me.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Mrs. Cullen. There's a Mrs. Alice Whitlock here for you," the receptionist informed me in her polite voice, and my jaw almost dropped a little in surprise.

How in the hell did Alice find out I was staying here? As far as I was concerned, nobody knew about the argument I had with Edward and I sure didn't tell anyone that I had left the apartment for the day.

"Mrs. Cullen?" she asked when I didn't say anything for a minute. I snapped out of my confused daze to answer her.

"Yes, please send her up," I said before hanging up and then I moved to the bathroom to make sure that my face looked alright. It did; probably because of the facial treatment I had had at the spa.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and I hurried to answer it. As soon as I opened the door, Alice entered the room without even saying anything.

"Bella, I was so worried! Are you okay?" she asked me, while looking at me to make sure I wasn't hurt in any way. When Alice was certain that I looked fine, she let out a relieved sigh and her body relaxed a little. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

I felt like chuckling because I should be the one asking her that question.

"No, Alice, what are _you_ doing here? How did you even find out I was staying here?"

"Edward called me. He said he had been calling home and you didn't answer, then he called your phone and he got really concerned when you ignored him."

I frowned because there was no way Edward could have called without me knowing. After all, my phone had been practically glued in my hand the entire afternoon. Oh, crap, I forgot that I had turned off the phone right before going to get my massage. When I turned it back on, I wasn't warned that I had missed calls.

What a horrible time for a phone malfunction.

"My phone was turned off for an hour because the battery was almost dying. How did you know I was here instead of home?"

"After I talked to him, I called you and you didn't answer. I was kind of convinced that you were sleeping or taking a shower, so I waited an hour or so and when you still didn't answer the phone, I went to your apartment. It may sound like I'm overreacting, but I thought you were hurt or something."

"Oh, Alice." I really didn't think that anyone would get concerned. "I didn't want to make you worry."

"I did something and I don't know if you'll be happy," she said and then looked down as if she was a little ashamed. "I used the key to get in and check if you were okay, and I found your note to Edward. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to invade your privacy, but you weren't answering your phone and Edward seemed so worried that I started to look for any clue concerning where you were."

I didn't know how to feel. I didn't like the fact that someone else read something that was really personal and only meant for Edward, but at the same time I understood that Alice was worried about me.

"I'm not mad, Alice. Don't worry," I assured her with a smile but then something occurred to me. "Do you know why I'm here?"

I wasn't sure I wanted Alice to know what was going on in my life right now. Needless to say, I was relieved when she shook her head.

"Whatever is going on between you and Edward is your business. I only came here to make sure you're okay and since you are, I better get going."

"No, you can stay if you don't have anything else to do." I held her arm to stop her from getting to the door.

At first, all I wanted was to be alone, but now that Alice was here, I couldn't ask her to leave. And to be honest, I kind of needed her to comfort me, especially because I knew she wouldn't keep asking me questions or judge me.

"Of course I can stay, Bella," she said before embracing me in a tight hug.

"Thank you," I murmured and stepped away from her embrace. "Now, can you please tell me how you knew I was here?"

"I'm friends with Christina Walker, the general manager, remember? She saw you checking in and called me because you weren't looking very well," Alice explained, shrugging her shoulders. Sometimes, I forgot that Alice had connections everywhere.

"That makes sense." I moved to sit on the huge bed. "I didn't even remember that Christina was working here."

"Yeah, she was transferred back a few months ago."

There was an awkward silence, probably because Alice didn't know what to say next. I could almost tell she wanted to know what was going on, but she was respecting me by not asking anything.

"Do you want something to drink? I can't drink, but-" I started to get up, but an unexpected cramp made me sit back down and put one hand on my lower abdomen. Alice immediately rushed to my side.

"Oh my God, Bella. Are you okay?"

I couldn't answer right away because I was still in pain and I all could do at that moment was to take deep breaths.

"I'm fine now," I said when the pain subsided. My voice was calm, but I was close to freaking out. I slowly got up to get some water, even though Alice was silently urging me to stay seated. "I'm just getting a water bottle."

I walked over to the mini-bar and grabbed two of those overpriced Perrier bottles. When I turned around to give Alice her bottle, I noticed that she was staring intently at something on the bed.

It took me a few seconds to realize that there was a blood stain at the exact spot where I had been sitting.

**A/N: I really tried to update yesterday, but I had to edit the chapter. But here it is! I really want to thank PTB, Larue, and everyone who took the time to review! I was really happy and amazed that the story has more than a hundred reviews now! I'll try to respond each review I get now. It's just that sometimes I get a little lost. Next chapter you'll find out what really happened between Edward and Tanya, if Baby Cullen is really in danger or not and his sex. If you have any preference, tell me! Now, I'll go back to writing chapter eleven!**


	11. No one keeps a secret

Bella

"It's okay, everything is going to be okay," Alice was repeating this over and over, and even though she was trying to comfort me, I could tell that this was her way of keeping herself calm. "We're just getting to the hospital."

Right after we had first noticed that I was bleeding, the cramping got worse, and I started to panic. Thankfully, I had Alice by my side to call my doctor, listen to her instructions and go to the hospital with me.

This was a ride that took five minutes tops, but it felt like I had been inside this cab for hours. Even though the pain had gotten better in the little time that had passed, the mere thought of losing my child was absolutely heartbreaking. I rested my head on Alice's shoulders, and she maneuvered her body so she could hug me.

Finally, the car stopped, and I had to move away because Alice needed to pay the driver. With justified anxiousness, she opened her wallet and almost shoved a bill into the man's hand.

"Come on, Bella, we're here." She opened the door and entwined my fingers with hers to gently pull me. "Do you think you can walk or does it hurt too much?"

I shook my head no and let Alice help me get out of the car. My legs were trembling, maybe from the horrible cold outside, and I had to grip Alice's arm tighter to make sure I wouldn't fall over. Alice winced , and I felt bad for almost crushing her limb. "Are you sure you're okay, Bella?"

I was about to answer that when Dr. Brill stepped in front of us, like some sort of gift sent from Heaven. Dr. Theresa Brill was my trusted obstetrician that I had been referred to by Carlisle. He had told me she was one of the best on the East Coast, and I really needed that to be true now.

"Okay, Bella. You need to stay calm, okay?" she said in that soft voice that doctors use to make their patients calm down. A nurse appeared by my side, pushing a wheelchair. I looked at the object as if it was going to bite me or something. Dr. Brill noticed that and decided to say something. "Bella, I know that your pain comes and goes, so it'll be uncomfortable to be walking around, don't you think?"

I gave some thought to what she had said and slowly sat down on the chair. Dr. Brill's lips curved in a smile, and a nurse started to push the wheelchair. My mind began to drift away, but I tensed up when I realized that Alice wasn't standing beside me anymore.

"Wait," I pleaded, and the nurse stopped. "Is Alice coming with me?"

Right now, my voice was bordering on desperation. After all, Dr. Brill was really nice, but there was no way I could do this without my best friend by my side.

"Of course I'm going to stay with you. Edward is with a patient right now, but I already asked a nurse to tell him what's going on. He'll probably be here in a few minutes," Alice said before taking my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

I tried to relax a little and stay calm, but I felt another light cramp and I knew that any relaxation method wouldn't work.

"Is my baby going to be okay?" I asked, looking up at Dr. Brill with a questioning and urgent expression. Suddenly, I could remember everything I had read about miscarriages and that only made me more nervous.

It was almost imperceptible, but I could see a flash of doubt appear in her eyes for a fraction of a second and I didn't like that.

"We're going to run some tests to understand what's going on. You're in good hands now. Everything is going to be okay."

Her voice didn't hold the hesitation that I had previously seen in her eyes, but there was a small voice inside my head telling me that she hadn't really answered my question. After all, she didn't specifically say that my baby was going to be okay. Maybe I was making a mountain out of a molehill, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that Dr. Brill didn't want to tell me that I was really having a miscarriage.

My heart went back to beating fast at that horrible thought and I closed my eyes, silently praying that I wouldn't lose my baby.

With everything going on in my life, I wasn't sure I would be able to handle going through a miscarriage.

* * *

I had peed in a cup, had my blood drawn, and now I was lying on the exam table with my knees bent and my feet in stirrups. Besides being in that uncomfortable position and worrying about what was going to happen, I was alone-and that was horrible. Alice had left to find Edward herself since it seemed like the nurse hadn't been able to do that.

Dr. Brill stopped moving, and I figured the pelvic exam was over. I looked down at her, my eyes desperately asking her what was going to happen. In turn, she smiled at me, and I didn't know what it meant, so I waited for her to say something.

"Your cervix is very much closed, Bella."

My knowledge on pregnancy had flown out the window a long time ago, and I couldn't really remember what a closed cervix meant in this case. But she had smiled ,and her tone was much lighter than before, so that was probably a good thing.

"Okay," I said, sounding confused.

"Don't worry, Bella. That's a good thing. The chances of fetal survival are higher when the cervix is closed. We're going to do an ultrasound now and check the baby's heartbeat, okay?"

I felt better with what she had said, but I didn't want to do the ultrasound without having Edward by my side. He had been present at every single one of the appointments related to the baby, and that was a habit I wanted to keep.

"Can't we wait a few minutes? Edward's not here yet," I asked, before taking my feet off the stirrups and moving to a more comfortable position.

Just like magic, a minute after I said that, there was knock on the door and then Edward practically rushed into the room. He looked disheveled, and when he got closer, I could see that his eyes were red. _Had he been crying?_

"I was with a patient, and I couldn't get away until now," he explained, focusing on me, and then looked at Dr. Brill. "What's going on?"

"I just performed a pelvic exam, and her cervix is closed. We're about to do the ultrasound now. You can sit down if you want." She pointed to a chair in the corner of the room, and Edward moved the chair so it would be right by my side before finally sitting down.

"Are you okay now? Not in pain or anything?" Edward asked me while taking my hand between his. His palms were a little sweaty, and I wondered if he was more nervous than he was letting on.

"No, I'm fine."

He curled his lips in this small smile, and that was when I got the confirmation that Edward was really freaking out and didn't want to show it. He usually smiled like that when he was too nervous to actually say whatever was on his mind..

"Would you like to get dressed first?" Dr. Brill asked politely.

"No, I'll get dressed after this."

Normally, I would want to be covered as much as possible, but both Edward and Dr. Brill had seen me naked before. I just wanted to see my baby on the screen and make sure that everything was okay. Me not being so comfortable naked wasn't a priority here.

"Okay, remember that this is going to be a little cold." She carefully opened the front of my exam gown and squirted some gel on my stomach. I was almost dying from anticipation when she lowered the wand to my bump and started moving it around for a few seconds. "There it is."

I turned my head to look at the screen in record time and smiled when I saw the image. I didn't understand much at first, but when she started to explain what was what, it was like everything was as clear as daylight.

"Is this a little hand?" I pointed to the image while squinting my eyes.

"Yes, it seems like the baby is sucking its thumb. They like to do that sometimes." Dr. Brill chuckled and focused on the screen again. "I'm going to try to locate the baby's heartbeat right now, okay?"

I nodded, and she started to move the wand again. Every second that there wasn't any sound, I was going crazy. While it was amazing to see the baby, I _needed_ to listen to the heartbeat to finally convince myself that it was alright.

After what felt like hours, the beautiful, familiar sound filled the room and I started to laugh because I was so relieved. Edward, on the other hand, was completely transfixed by the image and didn't say or do anything besides squeezing my hand a little tighter. I couldn't really blame him, because I could tell that he was somewhat in shock and needed a little time to get over that.

"The heartbeat is strong, as you can see, and completely normal. I think I can see the sex of the baby already. Would you like to find out or do you want to be surprised?"

I let out a small surprised gasp, just because I wasn't really expecting to find out this out, and looked at Edward. He took his eyes off the screen to focus on me. We had always talked about how we wanted to find out early so we could start buying things and picking out names early.

"We want to know," I said with certainty, and she smiled.

"Congratulations, Mommy and Daddy. You're going to be the parents of a little girl."

There was no stopping the tears I had been holding before. I was going through an emotional rollercoaster, between being scared of having a miscarriage and then seeing and hearing my baby's heartbeat. Crying was the best way to let everything out.

"I'm going to get the results from Bella's test." Dr. Brill excused herself to give us some privacy, not that I had really noticed she had left. I was in my own world, and its only inhabitants were me, Edward and our baby girl.

As soon as Dr. Brill closed the door behind her, Edward wrapped his arms around me and started peppering kisses on my forehead. We still had our problems and things we needed to work out, but this, our baby, was the most important thing right now. So, I didn't even think about pushing him away. Instead, I welcomed his embrace.

I felt something wet on my forehead, and it took me a few seconds to realize that Edward was crying. It was touching, but weird at the same time. Edward always wanted to be in control, and that included mastering his emotions. Not that he acted cold toward people or anything, but he wasn't the most emotional guy. Seeing him cry made something inside me tear up even more.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled and dried my forehead before wiping his eyes.

"Don't apologize, Edward. It's normal, right? Some minutes ago you thought I might be losing the baby, and now we find out that she's a perfect little girl." I raised my hand to touch his wet cheek.

"God, it never felt so real, you know?" He was gesturing, as if he needed help in finding the right words. I didn't blame him. I was also having problems in voicing what I was really feeling. "It never really hit me that we're going be parents. At least, it never hit me that strong. Bella, it's a little girl, and I don't know how to take care of a girl."

"You have a baby sister, and you're a doctor. I'm sure you'll be a great dad to our daughter," I assured him in a serious voice, even though, I was slightly amused with his panic. It really felt like everything was real now.

"I'm two years older than Alice. It's not like I did any babysitting work."

"I'm not the greatest with children, but I'm sure we'll manage. We're having a daughter, Edward," I whispered the last phrase with a small smile that he reciprocated.

Before I knew it, we were both leaning forward and our lips touched. The kiss started very sweet and gentle, and it remained that way. This was about was connecting to something that was bigger than all of the arguments we had had.

"I love you," Edward mumbled after he moved his lips from my mouth to my ear. "I love our daughter."

"I love you, too."

There was no point in lying.

"I'm sorry I had to leave this morning and that I couldn't be here sooner. My patient was an eleven year old kid, and he didn't make it. I was the one who had to tell his parents."

His head was down as he told me that, and I felt really bad for him. That was why his eyes were red when he entered the room. This was probably not the first time he had cried today.

"Damn, why did I tell you that? I didn't want to ruin this moment."

"I'm really sorry for your patient, Edward, but I don't want you to think that you have to keep these things from me. Secrets are what can break us." I looked at him, knowing that he would understand what I had meant by that.

"Bella, I-" he started to say, but was interrupted when Dr. Brill entered the room, holding a chart.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have your urine and blood results." She looked down to check the paper before speaking. "Your HGC levels are high, which is a very good thing. While analyzing your urine, we found the reason for your cramps and bleeding. You have a urinary tract infection."

I sat up, a little alarmed at what Dr. Brill had said. I had read enough pregnancy books and articles to remember that an infection was never a good thing for the baby.

"How did I not notice that? I didn't have any symptoms."

Other than tonight's cramping and bleeding, I couldn't really think of symptoms related to a bladder infection. Now I was feeling pretty stupid for not noticing anything. Dr. Brill shook her head as if she was trying to tell me to stop worrying.

"Sometimes, there are no symptoms, or the ones you have can be mistaken for something else. Did you feel the need to urinate more than usual?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought it was normal. Is this infection harmful to the baby?"

Damn, I couldn't catch a break. Just after I saw and heard my baby girl, I found out that something could hurt her.

"Thankfully, we found it early, so it's okay. I'll just prescribe an antibiotic that's safe for both of you. This infection is common in pregnant women, and because we detected it early and are going to treat it, it's not going to harm the baby."

Edward and I let out relieved breaths almost at the same time. Dr. Brill smiled at the obvious alleviated expressions we had.

"I still have to give you some recommendations on how to proceed, but I'm going to let you get dressed first, okay?" she said and left again, leaving us alone.

Edward cleared his throat, seeming a little uncomfortable. This wasn't the place or the time to have that talk, even if I desperately needed to know what he was keeping from me. We had just found out that we were having a little girl, and I didn't want anything to ruin that moment for me.

"Where's Alice?" I asked, getting the paper towel that the doctor had given me to wipe the gel off my abdomen.

"I don't really know. She was outside when I entered, but she might be in Dad's office right now. Alice is not a big fan of hospitals, as you know."

"Could you find her for me? I really need to talk to her."

"I'm going to find her, and then I'll change clothes. Is that okay?"

"It's okay, take your time. I still have to get dressed and talk to Dr. Brill," I reminded him and he frowned.

"Maybe I should stay and listen to what she has to say."

"You really don't have to stay, Edward. I'll be okay, I promise."

Even if Edward was a closed person, in general, this was one of the times when I was able to read him like an open book. I could clearly see that he was hurting over the loss of his patient, but he was also scared and excited for our baby and trying to keep it together. He needed a moment to himself and there was no way I would deny him that.

"I'll be back in fifteen minutes, okay?"

I nodded, closing my eyes when his lips touched my forehead.

Just as I was finishing getting dressed, Alice entered the room. She looked a little worried, but lightened up when I smiled.

"What would I do without you?" I murmured, stepping forward to hug Alice as tightly as possible. She was more than my best friend, and I really wanted to show her how grateful I was at that moment.

"I was just doing what I'm supposed to. Besides, I'm pretty sure that Mom would kill me if I let anything happen to this baby." She shrugged in a nonchalantly manner. "So, what happened after I left the room? What did the doctor say?"

I sighed, trying to remember everything that had happened in the last twenty minutes. I wanted to tell her everything, except for one small thing. Sharing the news of the baby would be reserved for another time. That would be done on a special day, not when I was still caught up in drama with Edward.

When I was done recounting the facts, I remembered that I really needed to ask Alice something.

"I need some advice," I said seriously, and saw her face go from excited to concerned.

Well, her expression pretty much matched how I was feeling right at that moment.

* * *

I was back in the penthouse, and the first thing I did was to get the note I had written for Edward. After I had talked to Alice, I decided that I wouldn't tell him about the hotel yet. In the back of my mind, I knew that I was partly avoiding the big issue here, but I was too exhausted to deal with this problem.

"Maybe you should take a hot shower and lay down. I can make you some herbal tea if you'd like," Edward suggested from behind me, making me jump a little in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. I was thinking about something else. I don't really want tea; you don't have to make anything. I think I'll just follow your advice and shower before going to bed," I said, and Edward nodded. I thought he would try to say something, but he stayed quiet.

"Yeah, do that. I think there are some cookies in the kitchen if you want to eat something. I'm also going to take a shower and hit the sack." Edward started walking toward the stairs, but turned around as if he had just remembered that he had something to tell me. "I'm going to sleep in the guest room. I figured you'd like your space for tonight."

I couldn't do anything but nod. After everything that had happened, I didn't think Edward would be observant enough to realize what I wanted. But it seemed like he was paying more attention than I had imagined.

"I have the day off tomorrow, so we'll be able to talk about everything. It's been a long day, and I think I speak for both of us when I say that all I can do right now is to go sleep."

"You're right. It's better to talk tomorrow." My voice came out raspy, probably because there was a lump in my throat.

"Please, wake me up if you feel anything, okay?" he pleaded and, again, I nodded without saying anything. "Goodnight, Bella."

He walked up the stairs, and I was alone in the living room. It was kind of late. I was physically tired, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep because my mind was hard at work. , I didn't really want tomorrow to come, and it felt like sleeping would only speed up the inevitable. I didn't feel ready for what could happen then.

_

* * *

__Edward_

I woke up with the sunlight practically blinding me, feeling a little disorientated. Save for some occasions, I hadn't slept without Bella by my side in a long time. It was safe to say that it had taken a few seconds for me to figure out where I was.

My sleep had been restless, just like I had expected the moment I went to bed. There was too much inside my head for me to be able to relax and have a good night's sleep. Damn, there should be a limit of how much shit could happen in one day. I was feeling like an absolute failure. I had promised that little boy and his parents that he would be okay and I had promised Bella that I would take care of her and our baby, and now the boy was gone and Bella had almost lost the baby.

I got up slowly, already dreading what was going to happen. I knew that I needed to come clean to Bella and tell her everything, but I was completely afraid of what would happen if she decided to leave me. Right then, I was regretting all of my decisions and wishing I was less of a coward. Maybe things would be much better otherwise.

Bella was already in the kitchen when I got there. She was sipping from her mug, and I could tell that she was trying her best to stay calm even though she was freaking out inside. Well, at least, that was how I was feeling.

"Good morning." She set the mug down. "You know we need to talk."

My heart started beating much faster, and I didn't feel ready to tell her the truth. All I wanted to do was enter a time machine, go back in time and undo all of the mistakes I had made. I looked around and wondered if we would have this crucial conversation in the kitchen. It seemed like it was the wrong place for that, but then again, what was the adequate location? I was telling her something that was going to change what we had for the worst, so it didn't really matter where I did it.

"Okay, but first I need you to try to listen to everything I have to say. I'm not even asking you to understand, but please try to hear me out."

Her eyes widened a little, as if she had just realized that things were worse than she had anticipated. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, and thought about how I was supposed to start telling her this?

"You remember that argument we had and then you went back to Hanover, right?" I started to say and then launched into the full story of what had happened a few years ago.

_It was over. It had been over for more than a month, but I had only just come to terms with it now. I found myself wishing I had stayed ignorant because realizing that my relationship with Bella was done was heartbreaking, to say the least._

"_Man, you look horrible," Cameron Stewart said while sitting down on the chair next to me. "Bella hasn't called you yet?" _

_I shook my head and pushed away the plate with the sandwich. My stomach had been turning almost nonstop now, and I just couldn't eat anymore. I looked up at Cameron and saw that he was staring at me with a concerned expression. _

"_I called her again and she didn't answer. Again."_

"_Maybe she still wants some time and space. You are broken up, aren't you?"_

"_Yeah, but I didn't think we were really broken up, you know? I guess I was just closing my eyes to what I didn't want to see. Now, it feels like someone made sure that my eyes are wide open."_

_Cameron wasn't a guy who liked to settle down, so I knew he didn't really get what I was saying. However, I appreciated that he was patient enough to listen to me. Especially now that I needed to talk to someone._

"_What pulled you out of your blissful ignorance?"_

"_I had to go to Hanover to solve some things_, a_nd I figured that it was a good time to talk to Bella face to face_,_ and, show her that I'm making an effort here. I went to her office and she wasn't there. She went to Washington, D.C. for a week to conduct interviews."_

"_Oh, and you're upset that she didn't tell you?"_

"_It's more than that. Bella and I have had fights before, but we have this unspoken agreement to never outright ignore each other. We used to text or email if we were too mad to talk, just so no one was worried, you know? There's been nothing but silence from her this time. Bella has always wanted to go to D.C. and work as a journalist there. This is something really important to her and she didn't tell me." _

_I closed my eyes for a long second, trying to keep it together. My mind was going back to the many emails I had sent her that hadn't been answered yet._

"_What about the time she called? It has to count, right?"_

_Cam was trying to get me to look at things in a positive way, but it wasn't really working. Right then, I was unable to see anything from a positive angle._

"_She called to tell me that the owner of the apartment we rented was going to sell the place and that I needed to get the rest of my stuff as soon as possible. When I got there, she had left a note saying that she had packed my things."_

"_I know this is harsh, but fuck, man, you've lived together for two years and you proposed to her. Besides, you've known each other your whole lives. There's no way your relationship is over."_

"_Maybe you're right, but she gave me the ring back, Cam. What does that mean? I told her that the ring was hers and she could keep it while figuring out whatever she needed to figure out, but she didn't want to."_

"_It'll be fine, Cullen, don't worry. Maybe she wants to be very sure of everything before taking the ring back. Maybe this ring means something deeper than a piece of jewelry to her," Cam tried to explain, and I looked at him. He noticed my questioning expression and a light blush took over his pale face. "I have a little sister and she tells me these things. Shut up."_

_I let out my first genuine laugh in weeks, and Cam patted me on the back._

"_It's okay, Cam. I'm sure they're not going to make you hand over your man card just because you're a good big brother."_

"_Whatever! Hey, you have the day off on Saturday, right?"_

"_Yes," I answered in a hesitant voice. "Why are you asking me this?"_

"_Because some of the guys are getting out of the hospital early tomorrow and going to a bar. Why don't you come with us?"_

_I looked at Cam as if he had grown another head._

"_Going to a bar isn't really my scene. I don't think I'm in the mood to do that."_

"_That's exactly why you need to go. I'm not saying that you should get trashed and have a one night stand, but staying alone in a tiny apartment while thinking about Bella all day and then coming to the hospital can't be really healthy, right?"_

"_I don't know. Right now, I feel like being alone, you know? Just until I can figure out what to do. My relationship is over, and I've just truly realized that. I want to get drunk at home and go to sleep."_

_Damn, how pathetic did I sound? _

"_Well, I can't force you to go, but I think it would be nice. I consider you my friend already, and I won't let a friend go down without trying to help," Cam said in a determined voice, and I smiled at that. It was really touching to see that _s_omeone I hadn't known for so long was concerned about me. _

"_I'm not actually "going down", but I appreciate the concern." _

_While these words didn't really show how appreciative I was, they would have to do. Besides, I knew that Cameron wasn't what I considered an emotional guy._

"_You can appreciate it by accepting my invitation."_

_I took a moment to think about everything that had been said and I came to the conclusion that Cameron was right. My routine pretty much consisted of staying in the hospital for as long as I could and then going back to the apartment I had rented, trying to talk to Bella in every possible way before passing out from exhaustion. _

_Everyone was starting to get worried about me, but I kept saying that I would be okay with some time. What if I was wrong and this didn't pass with time? _

"_Okay, I'll have a beer and I'll probably go home early, just warning you," I conceded, and shook my head playfully when I saw the grin on his face._

"_It's better than nothing."_

* * *

"_I thought you were only going to drink a beer," Cameron commented when he got closer. _

"_Yeah, but I like to drink something stronger when I'm upset," I simply said without going into any details. Surely, Cameron got that I was talking about Bella, but he was respectful enough not to press me for information._

"_I'm here if you need to talk to someone." _

"_I'm okay. Besides, I don't want to ruin your evening, especially because I saw a woman eyeing you." I pointed in her direction with my jaw and then saw a familiar blonde at the bar. "Oh."_

"_What's wrong? Did you look at her again and realized that she's not that pretty from this angle?" Cam chuckled and turned his head discreetly, trying to analyze the girl without making it seem like he was too interested._

"_No, I think I saw someone I know. Do you mind if I-" I started to ask, but Cameron interrupted me by shaking his head. "It's okay, go have fun!" He pushed me so I would start moving._

_I walked slowly toward her direction and checked to see if it was really who I thought it was. _

_"I never thought I would see you in a place like this," I said, sitting on the stool next to her. "My eyes are probably deceiving me because Tanya Denali wouldn't be here."_

_Okay, I was probably exaggerating, as the bar wasn't that bad. However, it was full of people who were already drunk on cheap beer. I knew that she had grown up in the time that we hadn't spoken, but not so much that she would be here and alone._

"_It's always a pleasure to see you, but this is not a good time. So, order a drink or go away," she practically barked the order before taking a big gulp of her martini._

_For some reason, it was kind of comforting to see that I wasn't the only one suffering tonight_. _I guessed it made me feel less lonely._

"_Scotch on the rocks," I said to the bartender when he looked at me, and then turned to Tanya. "Is that better?"_

"_I'm not the alcohol police, Edward. You drink whatever the hell you want. I just said that so you would shut up." _

_This time she drained what was left inside her glass and nodded to the bartender. He got the message and refilled her glass. I wondered if she had been here for a long time. _

"_What are you doing here alone?"_

"_Drinking away a broken heart, trying my best to get smashed as fast as possible. Take your pick."_

_Her answer was so casual that I wouldn't have guessed that she was actually telling me she was broken hearted or anything of the sort._

"_I know it's been a long while since we've last talked, but you can tell me what happened. You really look like you're going to explode."_

"_Short story, my fiancé just broke up with me. I entered the first bar I saw."_

"_Wow," I gasped at how similar our situations were. Who would have thought that we would run into each other at a bar in New York City, after both of us had been dumped by our significant others. _

"_If it makes you feel better, Bella ended our engagement some time ago." Saying that, even after many times, still felt strange. Even if I was starting to accept what was going on with my life, I had never imagined that something like this would happen. Being away from Bella didn't make sense. "Why aren't you crying and screaming?"I asked her._

"_I haven't reached the crying stage yet, and the alcohol is kinda making me feel numb. Bella broke up with you? That sucks."_

_I had to laugh at that. For some time, I had been trying to describe how horrible I was feeling with this situation, and Tanya was able to quickly sum it up in two perfect words._

"_Yeah, it sucks really bad." I took a big gulp from my scotch. The burning in my throat was kind of comforting. "So, why did he break up with you?"_

"_My dad hates him and is extremely against our relationship and my mother won't go against her dear husband. He basically said that I had to choose between my family and my fiancé. If I didn't choose my family, he would cut me off in every possible way."_

"_That's screwed up." I was surprised, but not too much. I remembered how Tanya used to complain about her father; how manipulative and selfish he could be. At that time, I thought she was exaggerating a little, but now I could see that she had been truthful._

"_Yeah, I know. I told my parents that I didn't care, but Nate comes from a big, tight family. He thought I would end up regretting my decision and resenting him in the future. Apparently my father talked to him behind my back and convinced him that I was better off him."_

_In the back of my mind, I thanked God that my family wasn't dysfunctional like that. Even if it hurt to be away from Bella, I still had my family and my friends to help me. It seemed like Tanya had nobody._

"_I'm sorry this is happening to you," I said after a few seconds. I wished I had something better to tell her, but nothing came to mind._

"_I'm sorry there's some shit happening to you, too. At least we have Tanqueray and J.D., right? And I haven't even started drinking vodka tonics, yet."_

"_I get that you're really upset, but maybe it would be better to slow down." I reached out to take her glass away, but she promptly slapped my hand._

"_Edward, I'm away from home with no place to stay because I don't want to go back to Nate's apartment. Please, let me get drunk in peace. I promise, I'm not going to throw up on you."_

"_Fuck, Tanya, you don't have a place to stay? How is that even possible?" _

"_Every time I come to New York, I stay in his apartment, and when he comes to L.A., he stays in mine. We hadn't really figured out where we were going to live." She shrugged and I could tell that she had passed the buzzed stage and was starting to reach the drunken one. "And it's not like I'm staying in my parents' place!"_

"_Maybe you should think of some place to go. What about one of your friends?"_

"_Oh, no. I don't want anyone to know about this right now. There's no need for me to feel more humiliated than I already do."_

_Her sarcastic tone changed to a sad, melancholic one, and I didn't know what to say. _

"_I can take you to a hotel," I offered as soon as the idea popped in my mind. _

"_Okay, but let's have another drink first. There is no way I'll be able to sleep if I go right now."_

_I agreed with her and drank my scotch. Next thing I knew, that one last drink Tanya wanted became several, and we were stumbling into a cab._

_

* * *

_

_I cracked my fingers for the third time as I waited for Tanya to arrive. To tell the truth, I was already regretting having accepted to meet up with her. After all, what was left to say after a week? We had drunkenly kissed and I slept on the floor of her hotel room. It wasn't like either of us had serious feelings that needed to be discussed. Actually, the feelings I had were regret and guilt, especially now that Bella had called me._

"_Hey."_

_I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see Tanya._

"_Hey. What's going on?" I tried my best to sound casual, but my nervousness was too obvious._

_Tanya looked down for a second and started playing with the hem of her shirt. I could tell that she was just as tense as I was._

"_I'm going to come out and say it, okay? I met up with Nate and he's rethinking his decision, you know? I guess he finally realized how much of an asshole my father is, and he wants us to get back together. I feel like we're starting fresh now, so I'm going to tell him what happened."_

_This caught me by surprise. Tanya had been the first one to affirm that us kissing had been a mistake and this shouldn't be brought up. _

"_What? Why do you want to tell Nate?" My anxiousness had escalated to panic and I could feel my heart beating faster than usual. "You were the one who said that we should keep quiet."_

"_I know that, but I've been thinking a lot and I think I should tell Nate. It's because I think I'll feel guilty in the future, you know? Once you lie, you have to lie again to cover it up. Before you know it, things start snowballing and it's like one big secret you have to keep it," she explained, but I wasn't convinced._

"_It's not like this can get out if we don't say anything. What if you tell him and somehow this gets back to Bella or my family? I can't risk it, Tanya." I knew I was being a jerk, and I didn't care anymore. Yesterday, I was feeling like I had won the lottery because Bella had called. She told me she was coming to New York and asked if we could have lunch to talk. That warm feeling of hope was something I hadn't experienced since Bella had left, and I couldn't lose it again. _

_I couldn't lose Bella again. _

"_How can this get back to Bella? I'm sure that his friends are not her friends or anything like that," she said. I opened my mouth to answer, but she started talking again. "Even after what happened, I consider you my friend, Edward. We don't have a "traditional" friendship, but it doesn't matter. However, I'm not asking for your permission. I just thought you would like to know that I'm going to tell Nate."_

_Her determined and strong tone left me a little speechless. I didn't know what to expect from this reunion, but Tanya wanting to tell her ex-fiancé about what happened was not something that crossed my mind._

"_Tanya, Bella called me yesterday. She's going to be here next week, and I really think this is going to be a crucial point for our relationship. I know that I'm being paranoid, but what if she finds out somehow? I need to have my chance to fix things before shit hits the fan, you know?"_

_Suddenly, her expression softened, as if she had fully understood what I meant. _

"_Edward, I know what you mean. Damn, it's not like we full out cheated on them, but I think I would like to know if Nate had kissed another woman. That's how we are. I'm not going to question your relationship with Bella, but maybe you should tell her."_

"_Yeah, I know." _

_Even though I knew I needed to be honest and tell Bella, I wasn't sure I would be able to do it. _

_

* * *

_

_I woke up from my nightmare swearing a little. They started when Tanya told me she was going to tell her fiancé what happened. Damn, the vision of Bella crying and saying she couldn't trust me anymore appeared every time. They were haunting me even when I was taking my much needed naps after coming home from the hospital. Was this a sign telling me that I should tell Bella the truth as soon as I saw her, or I should just wait and give it some time? Either way, I knew for sure that I didn't want Bella finding out from some source that wasn't me._

_I started to think about what I could do to convince Tanya to at least wait a few weeks before breaking the news to Nathan. Then, an idea came into my mind when I looked at my laptop on the desk. _

_Twenty minutes later, I was still browsing on the internet when the perfect thing appeared on the screen. If this didn't tell Tanya how desperate I was, I didn't know what would. So, without even caring that it would cost me a good amount of money, I made the reservation and then clicked to print out the paper that held all of the information for the trip I was giving Tanya and her fiancé. _

_There was something wrong with the printer, and two copies were printed instead of one. I didn't really think about it. I just folded a copy of the paper and put it between the pages of an old anatomy book. _

"_Here's my gift to you, your dream honeymoon in Sardinia. But can't you wait some time to talk to Nathan?" I read what I had written down and started to feel like an absolute dick. I was basically trying to get Tanya's silence by giving her something she had always wanted. She would probably laugh in my face for doing this, but I was honestly desperate. _

_I guessed I just needed to have a little bit of control over this situation, and this was the way I found to get it back._

* * *

When I was done talking, I looked at Bella. I was trying to analyze her every single move and expression, but she wasn't giving me much. Actually, she wasn't giving me anything. If it weren't for the way her whole body was stiff and tense, I wouldn't have guessed that there was something wrong. Bella wasn't crying, wasn't yelling or trying to hit me. She was stilled in her place, and I guessed it was because she was in shock. I was prepared to deal with the tears, but there were none. I didn't really know what to do.

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" she asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. I let out a sigh, a little relieved that she was willing to at least talk to me about it. "Why did you have to wait three years?"

I started thinking about that. Why didn't I listen to Tanya and told Bella about our drunken kisses right away?

"I was afraid that you would leave again." I knew that this wasn't the most elaborate answer I could give, but it was the truth. "The first time I tried to tell you, you started talking about Tanya and how much you disliked her, and, I couldn't do it. I tried several times after, but I couldn't. I am really sorry, Bella."

"It was a kiss or did you…sleep with her?" Her voice wavered with emotion, and I felt like crying.

"No, we just kissed for some time and then she pushed me away. I slept on the floor and that's the end. How upset are you?"

"I don't really know, Edward. I'm a little relieved that you didn't sleep with her, as I'd imagined, but there was something. You two kissed, and maybe that's nothing, but you decided to lie and hide this from me. If you were so sure that it didn't mean anything, why didn't you tell me?"

"It didn't mean anything, but I was feeling guilty." I didn't know what else to say to explain myself. "What do we do now?"

Bella opened her mouth, but didn't say anything right away. Her hesitation only made me more nervous.

"I could have forgiven you if you had told me that before. Hell, I wouldn't have been mad if you told me the day we saw Tanya at that party. But you chose to lie again, and you probably lied to cover your ass."

I looked down so Bella wouldn't be able to look me in the eyes. My expression was certainly showing how guilty I was feeling.

"I went to-" I started saying, but Bella cut me off before I could complete my statement.

"You know what? I don't want to hear about it right now." Bella started walking away, but I followed her.

"Bella, please, let's just finish this talk and then you can leave," I pleaded, reaching out to hold her hand. My heart almost dropped when she stuffed both of her hands in her pockets, a clear sign that she wanted some distance from me. I respected that and didn't try to get closer.

"No, I need to think in some place that's not here."

Now, I was panicking. I didn't want this to be the end, especially because we didn't even talk properly.

"Please don't go. I'm sorry, we can work this out. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it." I hugged her tightly, babbling into her hair. I was begging for her not to leave me. All I wanted was for Bella to stay home with me. "I'll do anything, Bella."

"I was in the Ritz yesterday," Bella said in a cold voice. If this was a method to get me to let go off her, it worked just fine. "I was so mad and confused with what happened that I couldn't stay here wondering what was going on. So, I packed some clothes and went out. Then, you didn't call, and I didn't want to sleep at home. Alice found me there, and you know the rest of the story."

"You want to go back to the Ritz, don't you?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"I'm tired, and I want to think about this. Staying here only makes it harder."

I nodded and sighed, not knowing what to do. It wasn't like I could make Bella stay if she really wanted to go somewhere else.

"Can I at least call a cab? Everything is okay with the baby, but we can't be too careful. And you have to go to the hospital to do a blood test, okay?"

"Yeah, you can call me a cab, and I'm going to the hospital in the afternoon. I'm going to pack some clothes and take a shower, okay?"

I could only guess that this was a rhetorical question, because she turned around to leave without waiting for my answer.

"Bella," I called out. She stopped walking, but didn't turn to face me. "Are we over?"

A few seconds passed without any reaction from Bella, and I honestly thought she would answer a simple yes and continue walking. Thankfully, she did turn to look at me.

"I don't really know, Edward. I need some time to think before making any permanent decision."

"I know I'm not in the position to make requests, but can you call Alice every day just to let her know you're okay? You probably won't want to talk to me, but you'll want to talk to her. I need to know that you're okay."

Bella's lips curled in a small smile and she nodded. Maybe she was happy that I was respecting her decision, even if it hurt me like crazy. Without saying anything else, she climbed up the stairs.

As soon as I heard the _click_ of the bedroom door being shut, I let my body fall on the armchair that was close. It was really tiring to keep calm when, on the inside ,I was freaking out and just wanted to cry.

_

* * *

_

_Bella_

I wiped some of the tears that had fallen while I was packing my bag. Surprisingly, I was dealing with this better than I thought I would. Maybe it was because I was relieved that Edward didn't actually sleep with Tanya, or because I was still shocked.

On the bed, my phone started beeping loudly and I grabbed it to see who had sent me a message. It was probably Rose or Jules, as both of them hadn't stopped sending me concerned texts all morning.

To my surprise, it wasn't one of the girls, and my heart flipped with happiness when I saw that it was a voice message from Jake. I quickly pressed the button to hear it.

"Hey, Bells, it's me. We haven't talked in a while and I was starting to miss you! So, I have a job interview in New York City, and I thought that maybe we could meet up. Don't worry, I'm not going to ask to stay in your sick penthouse because I don't want to act like a mooch. Anyway, give me a call when you get this!"

Hearing Jake's excited voice made me forget everything bad that was happening to me for a moment. It felt like I was a teenager and not an adult with marital problems. Without thinking too much, I called Jake back and left him a message when he didn't answer his phone.

"Jake, what are your thoughts on staying at a five-star hotel here in New York? Call me when you get here. By the way, I really missed you!"

At least I would have my friend by my side to help me get through this mess.

**A/N: I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to update earlier. I'm really busy with school right now, so I have little time to write. But I've already gotten started on the next chapter, so I hope it won't take too long to update. Just so you don't get worried: no, Jake is not coming to get Bella. They are childhood friends and that's it. About Edward and Tanya, there was no pregnancy and no abortion. The baby is a girl, and I think I have the name figured out already, but if you have a suggestion, you can leave it. I'd love to hear what you guys have to say.**


	12. You can help me

_Bella_

Two days had passed and I was still trying to get used to living in a hotel room. The problem wasn't with the suite since the room here at the Ritz was enormous and luxurious. After living with Edward for a really long time, it was weird to be sleeping alone. Even when he was on call and didn't spend the night at home, I always knew he would be back and that certainty made me feel secure.

Now, there wasn't a certainty anymore. My head was filled with doubts and questions about what I should do regarding my marriage situation. There was something inside me that wanted to ignore everything that Edward had done so I could go back to him and be happy with our baby girl.

However, as much as I wanted to continue living my life pretending that I was blissfully ignorant, I couldn't forget that he had been lying to me for so long.

My moment of reflection was interrupted by loud, impatient knock on the door. I wondered what was happening with the staff that made them act so rudely and got up to answer the door.

As soon as I saw who was standing on the door, a big smile took over my face.

"Oh My God, Jake, you're here!" I practically yelled, not able to control my excitement. I had told the receptionist to let Jake up without notifying me and then I totally forgot that he would get here at this time. "I missed you so much, you know?"

"Yeah, Bells, I missed you too." He put one of his big arms around my shoulder and pulled me closer with too much care. I looked up at him. "I don't want to hurt you because you're, you know, preggers."

As annoying that it was that everyone seemed to think that I was made of glass, I had to laugh at his choice of words and the way he was looking at my stomach.

"I might be preggers, but I'm fine. Now, come in." I took his hand to pull him into the room.

Jake let out a low, impressed whistle when he saw the suite. I knew he was a simple guy and not really used to all of this.

"Damn, Bella, you went all out! Look at this place."

I shrugged, because after all, I had gotten used to this gilded world after living in a Park Avenue penthouse for three years.

"Yeah, only the best for you, sir," I said before bowing down in a sarcastic manner.

"Well, I really appreciate it…" he started to say but stopped mid sentence. It seemed like he had just realized something. "Are you actually staying here?"

I looked down for a second before looking him in the eyes. Even though I had been living here, hearing someone else say it made things feel much more real.

I didn't like that.

"Some things happened, so here I am!" I tried to give him a bright smile, but all I managed to do was curl my lips. Jake frowned, as he was clearly confused with my quick explanation.

"What happened? What things?" His tone was a little anxious, and I didn't know if he thought Edward had done something horrible to me. "Are you okay?"

Jake was looking at me with this weird, worried expression and it took me a few seconds to realize what he thinking.

"Oh no, Jake, there was no physical violence!" I said, more loudly than I had to, because I was so surprised that he would think something like that. Edward might be immature and have some control issues, but he would never hit me. Hell, I couldn't even think of a time when he had gotten involved in a full blown fight. "Look, why don't you take a shower and sleep before we talk? You flew from Seattle, so I know you're tired."

I felt bad that I was kind of pushing him away, but I needed to change the subject. Now wasn't the right time to talk about what had happened between Edward and I.

"Yeah, I'm pretty beat," Jake agreed, but not before sending me a look that meant "we'll talk about this later".

"Okay, your room is over there and it has an adjoined bathroom." I pointed to the door on my left.

"I knew you were living the high life, but I never imagined it was that much high."

Great, now he was going to think that I used to move into a five star hotel room every time Edward and I had a fight.

"Just so you know, I was staying in a smaller suite, but changed to this one when I invited you," I replied, even though the smaller suite was still a considerably expensive one. It was almost funny how the opulence and luxury didn't amaze me anymore. "We needed to stay in a place with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. I figured that the only pregnant woman you should be sharing a bed with is your girlfriend."

His impressed smile turned into an expression of panic for a few seconds. I let out a loud laugh at that.

"You can't say something like that, Bella. You almost gave me a heart attack." His whole demeanor was serious, making me wonder if he had gotten upset. Not that it was my fault. Jake could be a little stupidsometimes and his almost phobia of having children was really funny.

"Oh please, it's not like Leah would call me to say she was pregnant. Actually, she wouldn't call me at all. We're not exactly best friends."

"Leah can be immature when she wants, but she likes you."

I raised both of my eyebrows, questioning Jake's statement. Leah didn't hate me, but I didn't believe that she liked me the way he thought.

"She likes you in her own way. It's just that she's not one to show her feelings, you know? Besides, she gets jealous of us, for some reason.

Well, I could understand why Leah would get jealous, even if there was nothing there between the two of us. After all, Jake was my best friend, and whenever I wasn't with Alice, I was with him. He was my confidante and looked out for me. I considered him my little brother, even though he was much taller than me and looked and acted like my big brother.

"Just make sure to tell her we have separate bedrooms. With emphasis on "the separate beds" part, okay?"

"Very funny ,Bells, did you work on your sense of humor while I was gone?"

"Something like that," I agreed, nodding and then clapped my hands to tell him it was time to stop with the joke and get serious for a moment. "Go take a shower and sleep because we're having lunch in three hours. If you're hungry, you can order room service."

"I'm always hungry, but I can wait a few hours. I ate something before at the airport," he said lightly but then frowned as if he had just remembered something. "Wait, please don't tell me we're going out for sushi."

I laughed at the pitiful face he made. The poor boy was still traumatized about that time he came to visit and we all went out for sushi. That hadn't been a pretty night.

"Don't worry. My pregnant self is not a fan of Japanese food," I assured him, and he let out a relieved breath.

"Well, now that we've agreed on the sushi ban, I think I'll go take a shower." He bent down to get his bag from the floor. "Thanks for inviting me to stay here, Bells."

"No problem." I shrugged my shoulders and lightly pushed Jake toward his bedroom. "Go take a shower because you're starting to stink."

* * *

Now that the spring had arrived, the weather was much more enjoyable here in New York. The flowers were starting to bloom and now I actually wanted to stay outside as much as possible. I asked Jake to go with me to Central Park instead of returning to the hotel right away.

We were sitting on a bench, looking at the people and the nature around us, not saying anything. The silence was comfortable, for once, and I didn't want to break it.

"You can talk to me, Bella. What happened?"

I turned my head to the side to face him. Jake had this analyzing and concerned expression that I hadn't noticed before. I looked down, because, suddenly, I didn't feel ready to talk about the crisis in my marriage.

Jake sensed how anxious I had gotten and started to rub my back, just like he did when were younger. That was his way of calming me down and it had always worked.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything if you don't feel like it," he assured me in a patient voice.

I really wanted to tell him what was going on, but I didn't know how to start it. I had only told Alice about this and asked her to say something to Rose.

"Remember Tanya Denali, Edward's ex-girlfriend?"

Jake nodded, but didn't say anything.

"She and Edward kissed."

"Edward cheated on you? How is that even possible?" he asked, his eyes wide and looking genuinely surprised.

"It was when we were broken up. It was a month after I had called off the wedding and returned to Hanover," I explained, getting a little nervous when all he said was a quiet _oh_. I really wished I could read his mind, because I didn't know what Jake was thinking.

Why wasn't he looking all furious and ready to punch Edward in the face? Was it possible that Jake didn't consider what Edward had done, a betrayal?

"Wait, did he tell you this now, out of nowhere? I mean, if he kept that from you for so long, it's kind of weird that he would come out and say it, you know?"

I pondered over his words as I remembered some of the things that had happened. I could be wrong, but I was pretty sure that Edward wouldn't have told me. If it hadn't been for that paper I had found, I would still be in blissful ignorance. His silence hurt me more than anything.

Yes, I hated that Edward had ended up drunk in an hotel room with Tanya of all people, but the fact that he had lied to me about it was what stung the most.

"Edward lied to me for more than three years, Jake. I know that it wasn't really cheating because, technically, we were broken up. But is it too much to ask for some honesty?" That last question was directed at me rather than Jacob. "Did he keep quiet because that night with Tanya meant something?"

"Uh, I don't know, Bells. Have you talked to Edward about this? And I mean, really talk. Screaming at each other doesn't count."

"There was no screaming match," I replied, as if that little piece of information was very important.

"Sometimes the silence can be worse than the yelling."

"But it's better to know what to say before saying anything, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily," he sighed, scratching the nape of his neck. His body seemed to be kind of tense and I wondered if it was the conversation that was causing him to get like that. "I know you, and you're not a fan of confrontation, but if this is bothering you so much to the point that you had to leave, you have to say something to Edward."

What he had said was so true that I felt something inside of me stir. I was starting to feel like the world's biggest idiot who didn't know how to deal with her marital troubles.

"I know, but I felt that I had to leave because I needed to get myself together and clear my head before talking to him," I said quickly, and then realized that I was sounding defensive.

"Well, did you get yourself together?"

I looked down and started to play with the hem of my shorts. While trying to answer Jake's question, I remembered every emotion that had passed through me in these couple of days. My conclusion? I wasn't even close to reaching my initial objective, as I was feeling even more confused than before.

"Can't you help me, Jake? You're a guy, so maybe you know-" I stopped talking when I realized that what I was saying made no sense. Edward and Jake were really different people, like day and night. There was no way one would guess what the other was thinking.

"What I can do is be here for you, but believe me, things will only stop being so confusing once you talk to him. He's the only one who can answer your questions."

I looked at Jake and wondered what happened to that playful guy that liked to joke around without ever getting serious. He had never been this mature before.

"I don't want to see Edward right now because…well, because I don't know how I'll feel. What if I look at him and only see the lies, or if I look at him and only see the amazing man I married?"

Jake didn't say anything, and I could only guess it was because he was confused by what I had said. It all made perfect sense in my head, though. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to move past the lies, but I was also afraid that I would be weak and forgive him quickly, only to regret it later.

"Even if you don't know how you'll feel, you'll still have to talk to him some day. This is not about the two of you anymore."

My hands immediately went up to touch my stomach. Even if it sounded a little silly, I wanted to protect my baby girl from having to listen to this. I wanted her to be around happiness and not in this environment.

"I don't want to have a baby while going through a divorce or a separation," I blurted out, and Jake understood my unvoiced question: "Should I forgive and forget just because of the baby?"

"Bella, you shouldn't think that way."

I knew that, but I couldn't help the way my mind worked. Things weren't supposed to happen like that, I should be shopping for baby things and not like _this_, in this situation. I was already scared that I was going to have a child, I didn't know if I could do it alone.

"I'm tired of this drama, Jake. I want things to be fine again." My voice started to break, and that usually meant that the tears would be coming very soon. Jake sensed that and put one arm on my shoulders.

"I'm not trying to defend his actions, but maybe he thought you were permanently over when he did this. Maybe he knew that this didn't mean anything and thought that telling you this would only hurt you."

"I'm a big girl, Jake, not a child that needs to be protected all the time. It would put some strain on our relationship, but the fact that he came out and told me the truth would have meant a lot to me."

"I really suck at giving relationship advice, but I have some for you. You need to talk to Edward about everything that's been bothering you, and you can't leave anything out. When or if you go back to him, you can't use the fact that you forgave him for his lies as a bargaining chip. It has to be a clean slate, you know?"

I nodded without saying anything. Jake was completely right about that, so I wasn't even going to question him. Well, just one question.

"How do you know all of this? You are on and off with Leah all the time, but you guys are great together."

Jake and Leah were so different that they completed each other, and it was difficult to imagine them apart for more than a week or so. Apparently, I was wrong because Jake cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Leah and I have an unstable relationship to say the least, but we can't be apart. It's amazing sometimes and horrible at others. I can't really explain it. Besides, we're here to talk about you, not my relationship with Leah." He gently tried to steer the conversation's topic away from him, and I didn't protest it. I could see that this was a sensitive subject to him and I wouldn't press it.

"Do you think this is easily forgiven? Him lying to me for so long?" I asked, looking at him in the eye. For some reason, I was beginning to suspect that his tale with Leah also involved cheating and lies.

"It's not easily forgiven, Bells, but it can be. Besides, people forgive much worse things. It really depends on your relationship."

I twisted my body to hug him tightly. Some tears fell from my eyes and got onto Jake's shirt.

"Things will work out, Bells. I'm sure of that," he whispered, trying to comfort me. I sniffled before raising my head and giving him a small smile. "Now, that's what I like to see, a smile on your face."

"Thanks for being here," I said, wiping my eyes and wet cheeks. Jake shrugged his shoulders, as if to tell me that I didn't need to thank him.

"Where else would I be? You're my best friend, Bells, and that's what we do," he explained, as if it was obvious.

"I'm sorry for not talking to you earlier." I was kind of feeling bad that it had been so long since we last talked like this.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Now, where can we get some amazing ice cream?"

"We just had lunch!" I looked at him, not really believing that he was ready for ice cream when he had polished off a plate of barbecue ribs and fries less than an hour ago. "How can you possibly want to have ice cream right now?"

"Bella, I'm always ready for ice cream. Besides, I thought pregnant woman love ice cream."

I had to laugh at his confused expression.

"You know, Jake, not every pregnant wants to have ice cream twenty four seven. However, I know a place and the ice cream is amazing there. You're lucky I seem to be having a sweet tooth today." I got up from the bench and gestured for Jake to also stand up. "Come on, Jake. I feel bad for letting you starve for so long."

That last part was clearly sarcastic, and Jake ruffled my hair in response. I was in my late twenties, and the guy still treated me like I was his little sister. This time, I wasn't even annoyed that Jake had completely messed my hair.

_

* * *

_

_Edward _

I was lying on the couch, watching some action movie that was on at the moment. Actually, watching wasn't the most accurate word to describe what I was doing. I was just looking at the TV from time to time, even though I was starting to get annoyed with the sounds of explosion coming from the movie. Still, these sounds were better than the horrible silence in the penthouse.

Two days had passed and I still hadn't heard from Bella. All I knew was what Alicehad told me and all Alice had said were basic things, like Bella was healthy. Oh, and that Bella had said she was still not ready to talk to me.

I let out a yawn and closed my eyes, hoping that I would fall asleep soon. With everything that had happened, it seemed like I had developed a case of insomnia and I could only sleep when I was so tired that I passed out. Now I only managed to have a good thirty minute sleep at the hospital and not at home anymore. I guessed I had become used to having Bella by my side and cuddling with her, or at least knowing that she would come home eventually.

I heard the sound of a key in the lock and I opened my eyes instantly. Did Bella decide to come home, even if it was just to get something, or was she here because she wanted to talk to me? My heart started to beat a little faster and I looked in the direction of the door. I was filled with disappointment when I saw who it was.

It wasn't Bella standing there; it was Alice. Damn, I forgot that she had the keys to the penthouse just in case of an emergency. This wasn't an emergency, so I really didn't know why she was here.

"Alice, what are you doing here?" I asked, not able to hide my annoyance. "You're here to tell me how much of an ass I am for hurting Bella?"

Honestly, I wasn't in the mood for having to go through one of Alice's infamous lectures. She was my little sister, but she was very protective of Bella. In the back of my mind, I had been wondering when Alice would come here herself to personally kick me in the balls. We had talked briefly over the phone, just because she was keeping me updated about Bella, but we hadn't seen each other face to face.

Her expression was one of pity and concern, and I realized that I preferred her anger to her pity. My life may not be perfect right now, but I certainly didn't need anybody's sympathy, especially from my own sister.

"Dad told me that you didn't look too good and that he practically had to have you removed from the hospital. I thought I should come and check on you," Alice answered while closing the door quietly. Her eyes were still glued on me, and I was sure that she was trying to read me, find out what I was thinking and how I was feeling. It was something she did ever since we were kids.

"Be honest. Are you sure you're here to check up on me?" I was being a little stubborn, but this wasn't what Alice used to do. If she wanted to be sure that I wasn't dead or something, she'd just send Jasper or Emmett. "Given what happened, I'm surprised that you're here."

Alice let out a small gasp when she understood what I had meant and next thing I knew, she was kneeling on the floor by my side.

"You're my brother, Edward. How can you even think that I don't care about you?" she questioned with an upset voice, and I started to feel bad.

"I'm not saying you don't care; it's just that you tend to stick more with Bella, that's all."

Oh for fuck's sake, now I sounded like a ten year old boy that was jealous because he wasn't getting enough attention, and that wasn't what I had meant.

"Yeah, but all you had were meaningless arguments, so I knew that you'd be okay. This time is different, more serious, and I want to be there for both of you." She ran her hand through my hair in the same way she used to do when we were kids. "You look really horrible, you know?"

"Yeah, I've heard that before." I was even trying to avoid looking at myself in the mirror, because I was sure that the bags I had under my eyes and my disheveled hair didn't make me look good.

"You can't do this to yourself, you know? I know that things are complicated with Bella, but punishing yourself like this isn't the answer."

As soon as she had said that, I felt like telling her that this wasn't something I was doing to myself. I wanted to be able to sleep, and stop worrying constantly if Bella was doing fine alone in that hotel room, and if when she would call me so we could work out our problems. In the end, I didn't say anything because Alice wouldn't really understand. So, I went with the simplest answer.

"You're right. I'm just so tired of this, you know? I want things to be like before."

Well, not completely like before. I was relieved that everything was finally out in the open, and I didn't have to hide anymore. However, after hearing Bella say that she would have forgiven me had I immediately told her what had happened, I felt like a big idiot. I regretted keeping this from Bella for so long, but I was really desperate at that time. I had just gotten my chance to talk to her. I was afraid that I would blow it by saying that I had gotten drunk with my ex-girlfriend and then proceeded to make out with her.

"I don't think everything will be the same, because so much happened. You screwed up, and now you're going to do your best not to do anything like that ever again. Both of you are going to be different people," Alice said, and patted my arm. "Do you want to eat something? I'm sure that there are some leftovers that Liana prepared."

"No, I'm fine." At the exact moment I said that, my traitor stomach growled loudly. Alice just raised an eyebrow and stood up. I sighed tiredly, and I was reminded of something. "Can you call Bella?"

Alice frowned; maybe she wasn't expecting me to ask her that.

"Right now? She said she wanted some time before talking to you." She was talking to me as if I was a five year old, and I rolled my eyes at that.

"It's not for that. Just ask her if she's been feeling alright and maybe remind her of the antibiotic. She always forgets to take them and I used to text her or leave her notes so she wouldn't forget. Please?" I made my puppy eyes and knew that it had worked when Alice sighed and started rummaging through her huge bag to find her phone.

"The things I do for you," she grumbled while pressing some buttons. I could tell that she was only joking because of the little smile on her lips. "Hey ,Bella, it's me. I got off work earlier and I was wondering if you'd like to go out. I know you didn't go to Alette today, so I thought you were starting to get a little cabin fever."

Was it pathetic that I was jealous of the way Alice could talk to Bella? I missed being able to talk to her without having to worry that I would say the wrong thing and hurt her. I missed her and everything about her.

"Oh, really? I didn't know that. No, you probably forgot to tell me, but it's okay. Well then, have fun and don't forget to take your antibiotic. Call me if need me, okay? Bye." Alice hung up the phone and then started to look at her nails.

"How is she?" I asked anxiously, as I could see that there was something weird with her.

"She's great and she already took the antibiotic. You don't have to worry. Now, about your lunch." She started to walk away, but I was able to reach out and grab her arm to prevent her from leaving.

"What's wrong, Alice? What did Bella tell you?"

"Oh, nothing important," Alice said casually, but I could see that she was trying to focus on anything but me.

"Alice." I used a serious voice, knowing that it would make Alice tell me whatever she was trying to hide.

"Bella is out with Jacob." Alice blurted out, and I sat up straight as soon as I heard that.

"Jacob Black?" I asked loudly, not able to contain my utter surprise.

Of all the people that could come to New York right now, why did it have to be the one person that was as protective of Bella as I was?

I was screwed.

**A/N: So I decided to update earlier because I wanted to compensate for taking so long to update last time. I'll try my hardest to follow the schedule and update in two weeks. Thanks to PTB, for editing the chapter and to everyone who reviewed last chapter! This chapter was more of a transitional one, just so you could see how Bella was feeling about everything. Bella and Edward will have their much needed talk in the next chapter because I don't want to drag things. **


	13. The first step

"I can't believe that you have to leave already," I practically whined to Jake as I watched him finish packing his bag. I knew I had Alice, Rose and Jules, but it felt like having Jake by my side made things seem easier. He just knew the right thing to say that made me feel better. Now, he was going back to his life in Seattle, and I would have to face my marital problems. "Can't you stay for a few more days?"

"I really can't. I have to be back home this weekend. Besides, if I stay, what will you do? Are you going to L\live in this hotel room until you have the kid and have to talk to Edward?" he asked while folding a shirt without much care and then throwing it inside the bag.

I stayed silent, imagining how things would be if I just stayed here instead of going back home and confronting Edward. It would probably be very lonely, silent and scary. That ludicrous idea went away as soon as it popped in into my head. Besides, as much as I was hurting with everything that was going on, I loved Edward and I needed him.

"Just so you know, I called Edward and we're going to have lunch tomorrow." I said in a childish tone, just to show Jake that I wasn't avoiding the problem like he said I was. Now that I had had some time to think and at least have some idea of what I wanted to do, I felt like I was ready to talk to Edward without wanting to cry or slap him.

"That's awesome, but are you sure you want to talk in a public setting? It doesn't really seem like an appropriate place for that conversation. I could be wrong, though." He shrugged his shoulders.

I didn't reply right away, because I was too busy thinking about what Jake had said. In reality, I had picked a little bistro for that exact reason. I wanted to be in a public place to make sure I would be able to control myself and say everything I needed to say without breaking down.

"I mean, you're doing this to go all out, right?"

"Right," I said nodding, but my voice had a noticeable hesitant tone. I wished I were able to hide my feelings a little better. I was incapable of lying to someone when I was standing in front of them.

Jake raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything like I expected. He probably understood that I was still confused.

"Shit, look at the time," Jake muttered and started to throw his clothes into the bag instead of folding them like he was doing before. "I have to be at the airport soon, and the traffic is always heavy here, right?"

"Yeah, it is. Are you sure you don't want me to go there with you? I really don't mind." I offered for the millionth time in an hour. Just like the other times before, Jake smiled and shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I would start to feel like I am taking advantage of you. I mean, I stayed in this amazing expensive room and didn't pay for anything. Besides, you said you were going out for lunch with Alice and Rosalie, right?"

"First of all, I invited you to stay here. I didn't expect you to pay, so stop saying that. Second, I can go there with you and then come back to have lunch with them," I argued, but Jake shook his head again. I sighed, knowing that he wouldn't change his mind. "When do you have to go?"

Jake glanced down at his watch before shoving the last piece of clothing into the bag.

"In five minutes. Wait, I forgot something." He opened his bag and got a small package. "Here, I almost forgot to give you this."

"What is this?" I asked in a small voice as I moved to get the item he was offering me.

"Open it to find out." He had this excited smile on his face, and that made me even more curious. I carefully unwrapped the package and felt a huge smile take over my face when I saw what it was.

The cutest pair of knitted baby booties I had ever seen. Before I even realized it, I was wiping away some tears.

"I thought it would be kind of rude to come and not bring anything, so Leah knitted-" he stopped mid sentence. "She made me promise I wouldn't tell you."

"Leah actually made these herself?" I asked in surprise, not able to take my eyes off the white booties. I could already imagine my daughter's small feet in them and that image was just perfect. "I really didn't think she would do something like this."

Jake gave me a bright smile, clearly happy that I liked the gift.

"Leah prefers to keep her hard exterior, but she honestly likes you."

I stayed silent because I was too surprised and didn't know what to say. I knew that Leah wasn't a bad person, but we had never clicked. I thought she was too harsh and wasn't afraid to state her opinion. To say the truth, I was really envious of that part of her personality.

That pretty much explained why I didn't like to be around Leah. I looked at her and saw some attributes in her that I wanted to have myself. Feeling like that annoyed me to no end, so I just preferred to avoid being around her and blamed it on Leah's jealousy of my relationship with Jake.

"Thank you for the gift and everything else." I walked over to Jake and gave him a tight hug.

"I want you to be happy, okay?" he murmured against my hair and then took my face between his hands in the same way my father used to. "Please, talk to Edward and set things straight, okay? I really hate to think you're going to be miserable, and I won't be around." He was almost pleading, and I just realized how concerned Jake was.

"I called him yesterday. Well, I called and left a message, inviting him for lunch and then he replied." I knew I was starting to babble, so I just stopped to take a breath and try to control the fluttering butterflies inside my stomach. "We're going out tomorrow."

Jake's worried expression morphed into one of relief.

"That's great." He picked up his bag from the floor. "Now you two can reach a consensus before the kid is born."

We started walking toward the door, and I was doing my best to move as slowly as possible. In the back of my mind, I still hoped to convince Jake to catch a flight tomorrow. It was a little selfish, but I wanted him to be here in case of something went wrong between Edward and I.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" I asked him one more time. Right now, I was sure that I had started pouting.

"No, and don't give me the pout. I think you're a little too old for it to work, Bells," he said with a smile. "Now, give me a goodbye hug." Jake opened his arms, and I moved to hug him.

"Will you please get the job so you can move to New York?" There was a pleading tone in my voice, even though I knew Jake wasn't responsible for his hiring.

"I can't make any promises." Jake laughed, trying to appease me. "I'll call you before the plane takes off and when I get in Seattle, okay?"

"Okay." I let go of him to open the door.

"Take care of yourself and this baby, okay?" He pointed to my stomach with a smile, and I just nodded. I could already feel my eyes getting moist with tears, so there was no way I would be able to say something.

Jake gave me one more look before turning around to leave. Now that he wasn't here anymore, I realized that I would be alone in this huge suite again. My hormones had kicked in, and I was feeling more homesick and lonelier than ever.

* * *

It was amazing how much a bath and going out with Alice and Rosalie could cheer me up. Earlier today, I had been really upset, but now that I was with both of them, I felt much better.

"You know, I was starting to think you had dropped us in favor of Jacob," Rosalie said in between bites, sounding like a child that had been ignored.

I knew that Rosalie was just kidding and doing this to tease me, but I still felt bad because I had ignored them. It wasn't intentional, of course. At that time, I was just trying to distance myself a little from Edward and everything related to him. I knew that it wasn't really fair to do this with them, but everything would be back to normal now.

"I'm sorry for that. You were trying to help me, and I shouldn't have pushed you away," I apologized softly, looking at both of them. They nodded, and Alice waved a hand dismissively. I smiled, feeling relief take over me. "Besides, I love Jake, but he could never replace you two."

"How are you doing?" Alice asked, and I knew that the casual question had a deeper meaning.

"I'm better than before, and I'm not so confused anymore." There was much more going on with me, but I decided to go with the short version. I didn't think we would have enough time for me to explain everything on my mind.

"Would you like to talk? About what happened with Edward and everything?" Rosalie offered tentatively. I could tell that she was afraid of saying the wrong thing. "Maybe it would…help."

I looked down at my food, and wondered if talking about it would make me lose my appetite. I didn't want to be all sullen and spoil our afternoon. Rose and Alice, however, didn't seem to be the least concerned with that, so maybe I shouldn't be either.

"Well, I don't really know what to say. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like this is my life, you know? A few months ago, everything was going great, and Edward and I only had small arguments over silly things and now I'm staying at the Ritz and we barely talk to each other," I said before letting a loud sigh.

Thinking about how things used to be only made me feel worse, and I tried to focus on what to do now.

"You did think things over, right? You know what you want to do?" Alice asked with a soft voice while sipping on her drink.

"I guess. Sometimes I wonder if I'm being too hard on him, because they didn't sleep together, and we were broken up at that time."

"No, don't think like that. I'm not saying that you should end things with Edward because of this, but not every woman has to feel the same, you know? Your relationship is only yours, so nobody can tell you how you're supposed to act."

"Alice is right, Bella. I know a woman who ended her marriage because her husband kissed another woman and one that stayed even though her husband slept with the neighbor. Everyone said they were crazy, but they were happy with their decision," Rosalie piped in, and her words made me feel a little better.

It sounded silly, but it felt good to know that they weren't judging my actions.

"Edward used to say that a kiss always means something, and he lied to me for so long. That's what makes me so upset. He went through so much to hide this from me, and that makes me wonder if this was really just a mistake, as he claims it is."

I finished talking and looked at them. Alice had her brows furrowed, the confusion etched on her face.

"Do you think Edward lied to you when he said he didn't sleep with Tanya?" she asked, sounding like she couldn't believe what she was actually saying.

"No, not that. I just wonder if this thing with Tanya really didn't mean anything. I mean, they dated for so long. I guess I'm afraid that Edward still has feelings for Tanya." I almost gasped in surprise when I was finished. What I had just said was new to me. Yeah, I felt a little insecure when it came to her, but the woman was a blonde bombshell, so I thought it was normal.

However, it was the first time that I questioned Edward's feelings. What was going on with me?

"Bella, I really don't think Edward has any feelings for Tanya. He might be stupid when it comes to relationships and make some bad decisions, but he wouldn't stay with you if he had any doubt. Ever since we were young, he would never be with a girl if he thought he had feelings for somebody else," Alice said, and the certainty in her voice made me feel a little better. "He wasn't looking very good when I saw him a few days ago."

My stomach flipped flopped at the thought of a broken Edward. I had been so concerned about trying to figure out what I was going to do, that I hadn't thought about how Edward was faring. I knew that he was well enough to make sure Alice called me every day, but I didn't know anything other than that.

"How is he?" I could feel the guilt creeping in, and I wasn't able to hide it very well.

"He's doing what he usually does when he's upset." Alice looked a little uncomfortable, and didn't say much after that.

I didn't really need the details, because her short answer was enough to tell me what Edward had been doing these past few days. If he had been doing what he usually did, he was probably stuck in the hospital, doing one shift after another. He was probably working himself to exhaustion, and I couldn't help but feel like I was a little guilty for that.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow," I promised, and Alice let out a relieved sigh before realizing what I had just said.

"You're going to talk to him tomorrow? Thank God. It's about time you two talked." Alice sounded chipper now and Rosalie clearly agreed with her.

"Yeah, I was giving it some time, and then I called him yesterday. There is no point in waiting anymore." I sipped my water, trying to calm down. Just the thought of what could happen tomorrow made me nervous.

"I really hope that you and Edward work it out. Things aren't the same when you two are not together," Rosalie confessed with a sheepish smile and then clapped her hands together as if she had just remembered something. "Are you two busy? There's a photography exhibition in Soho for this photographer that's amazing. I've heard nothing but praises about his work, so I figured you two could join me."

"Count me in. I did everything I had to at work quickly so I could leave early. What about you, Bella?" Alice turned her head to look at me. "Do you have anything to do? Do you have to meet _Jake_?" She asked with an exaggerated childish voice, and I had to roll my eyes at that. Who would've thought they would get jealous of Jake?

"Jake left this morning, so you can stop complaining I'm not giving you enough attention. And to answer your question, no, I don't have anything to do. After what happened with the baby, they decide to give me a week off because they think that Alette's office is a stressful environment for me. I've been working from home, basically."

"It's settled then. We can finish eating and go, okay?" Rosalie seemed to be much more excited now, and I could feel some of her happiness starting to rub off on me. "Damn, I missed you!" Rose exclaimed a little louder than necessary.

I would have looked around to check if people were staring at us, but this time, all I could do was stare at them with a stupid grin on my face. Being with them, just like we used to do all the time, made me forget the bad things going on in my life.

* * *

"So, this exhibition has an interesting theme, right?" I whispered to Rose as we entered the gallery two hours later. She was so enthusiastic about bringing us here and I didn't want to be rude. However, there was no way I'd be able to endure an entire hour of looking at some pretentious crap and pretending I was interested.

"Oh, I think you'll like it. From what Rach told me, it's about the women in his life."

Well, at least it was about something simple instead of an elaborate theme that I wouldn't be able to understand. That, I could handle.

"Oh my God," Alice gasped in surprise as soon as we entered the room where the photographs were. I was standing behind her and didn't see what caused her to have that reaction.

"What's wrong Alice? Is there a picture of someone naked and you weren't ready for that?" I asked jokingly while coming up to her side. I wasn't sure, but I thought I had a reaction similar to Alice's.

There were pictures of Tanya almost everywhere and I couldn't believe t I hadn't noticed them the second I entered the room. Right in front of us was a picture of Tanya smiling brightly at the camera with the Eiffel Tower behind her. Her hair was mussed, and she didn't seem to have any make up on, but she was still gorgeous.

"Is that Tanya, or I'm just starting to see her because we've talked about her for too long?" Alice was looking at the photo as if she couldn't believe what her eyes were really seeing. "It doesn't look like her at all."

I nodded before turning around to check out some other photographs. In another one, she was wearing a headband with bunny ears and holding a little girl with matching bunny ears. Their happiness was so obvious, and I wondered why I had never seen her like that. Every time we crossed paths, Tanya looked like a spoiled, snobby, trust fund baby. In these pictures, she looked like a simple girl and completely different than the image I had of her.

"Do you think Rose knew about this?" Alice pointed to Rose, who was chatting with some of her fellow photographers. If she was surprised, her face didn't show it at all.

"I don't know. Probably not, but it's not like she can say something right now in front of everyone," I replied, and then remembered something. This exhibit was about the women in his life, so Tanya was someone very important to him.

"Girls, I'd like you to meet the man responsible for this amazing work," Rosalie came to us with a handsome man by her side. "This is Nathan Callaghan. Nathan, these are Bella and Alice."

"Nice to meet you," Alice greeted promptly, but I was too surprised to say anything.

This was Tanya's ex fiancé standing right in front of me and I wondered what was going to happen now.

* * *

The small bistro located two blocks away from our building was familiar, but not even that was enough to calm my nerves. I saw Edward sitting down as soon as I stepped inside the restaurant. I didn't know why, but seeing him there made feel a little relieved.

Edward spotted me and stood up immediately. I took a deep breath before walking toward him with trembling legs, and hoped I wouldn't trip over and fall.

"Bella," Edward murmured as a greeting and reached out to hold my hand. He rubbed the palm of my hand with his thumb for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing. "Uh, sorry, force of habit," he explained with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Don't worry." I waved a hand dismissively and moved to sit down.

There was a small moment of silence, because I was too busy staring at him to start any kind of conversation. The bags under his eyes were visible, and he looked paler than normal. I didn't expect him to be tanned or anything, but he had an unhealthy aura.

"A little bird told me you've been overworking yourself," I started to say, trying not to sound like I was lecturing him. I did manage to voice my concern, though.

"Well, this little bird likes to talk too much," he replied without looking at me. I sighed loudly, and it was like this sound made Edward take things serious. "Look, two residents got sick, and someone had to cover, so I did it. You don't need to worry."

"You don't look good, Edward, how can I not worry?"

"Do you miss me?" Edward asked out of nowhere, and I was a little too surprised to answer right away. I honestly didn't expect him to start talking about things so fast. We both liked to avoid conflict, but maybe Edward was trying to change that. "Because I miss you all the time."

I closed my eyes, feeling my heart constrict painfully. Hearing him say that in a broken voice only made things harder. It made me want to cry, and I didn't want to do that.

"Edward, please. Let's just talk about this situation." I tried to make my voice sound stronger than I was.

"Okay, let's talk," he agreed, folding his arms.

"I think we should get straight to the point, right? Do you have any feelings for Tanya?" I finally voiced the question that had been haunting me for days. Edward's eyes widened to the point where he almost looked like a cartoon. If I hadn't been involved in this, I would've laughed at his expression.

"What? Of course not! I like her as a friend, but that ship sailed many years ago."

"Then why did you get drunk with her, why did you go to a hotel room and made out with her?" I started shooting the questions without pausing, and I had to take a deep breath.

"I don't have an elaborate answer for those questions. We were both hurting and trying to forget things. It was like my mind had stopped working, and we only realized what we were doing after some time." Edward was tapping his foot against the floor, something he used to do when he was trying to figure out what to say. "I knew we were broken up, but I still felt bad for doing it."

"You should have told me, Edward," I muttered, starting to feel like a broken record for repeating that phrase over and over again. "I don't know if you get it, but I feel like an idiot."

"I'm sorry for making you feel like that. It's just that you came back and you were willing to give us another chance. I was afraid that you wouldn't want to get back together if you knew." He glanced down at his hands, as if he was too embarrassed to look at me. "What do we do now?"

That was a good question. What should we do now? I didn't want us to be over, but we still had some problems that needed to be solved.

"I love you, Edward, and I don't want us to be apart. However, we can't go on like this, you know? Ignoring our problems until everything blows up in our faces. I'm tired of it, and honestly, I don't want our daughter to be around it," I said, rubbing my slightly round stomach for a few seconds. Edward nodded, but stayed silent. He was probably waiting for me to finish so he could say something. "With everything that happened, I feel like I can't trust the way I did before."

"Oh." The look on Edward's face reminded me of a lost boy, and that alone almost made me want to take back what I had said. If I were a few years younger, I would have said I was wrong and that I did trust him with all my heart. But we weren't young anymore and needed to confront our problems. "I'm sorry."

"You acting so controlling doesn't really help matters, you know?" My throat felt dry, maybe from trying to hold in the tears. I always felt like that when I had to swallow my tears.

"I know I can be controlling and stubborn, but it's not really intentional. I only do things believing I'm doing the best for you," he tried to explain with a nervous voice and that only made things worse.

Edward wasn't some asshole husband that tried to control everything concerning his wife just for the sake of it. In his mind, he only made decisions that would benefit us.

"I love that you always want to make sure that we're fine, but you've got to remember that I'm your wife and not your child." I was reminded of the conversation we had had a few weeks ago at P.J. Clarke's as soon as I said those words. "I know that this is part of your personality, and I don't mind it most times, but I think it's too much right now."

"You're right. It became natural for me to make decisions for both of us because you know me; I'm used to doing this."

"You have to remember this is a team work, Edward. Especially now that we're having a child. What if I do something that you don't agree with? Are you going to question my authority and try to overrule me? We'll probably fall apart before our daughter is a year old if things continue like that."

"You really think that?" he asked, and for a moment, his voice didn't sound like his own. Edward had always been the calm and composed one in this relationship, and I could count on my hands the time he had broken down. So it was a little weird to see Edward so upset like that.

"I think both of us need to change some things about ourselves." I cleared my throat, nervous with what I was going to say. "I'd like us to try marriage counseling."

Edward looked surprised and relieved at the same time. Maybe he was just happy that I was willing for things to work out without making us spend some time apart.

"Well, are you sure about that?" His tone was hesitant, but I didn't blame him.

Alice had told me about marriage counseling, and I hadn't agreed with the idea at first. To me, going to therapy made me feel like my marriage had hit rock bottom. I didn't take her suggestion very seriously, but after looking it up, I realized that it was worth giving it a shot. Maybe a professional would be able to help us a little better.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I want us to be good again." I meant that, because I really missed the way we used to be.

"If that's what you want to do, then we'll do it. There is nothing I want more than us working out, Bella."

His words made the butterflies in my stomach start fluttering like crazy and all I wanted to do was kiss him. Maybe I sounded like a teenager, but I hadn't kissed him or had had sex in a long time. Abstinence didn't really mix with my pregnancy hormones, after all.

"I want to go back home, so would you like to help me get my stuff at the hotel?" I asked with a small smile, feeling like I was taking the first step toward reconciliation. The elated look on Edward's face told me I was doing the right thing.

"Of course. Do you want to eat something in here first?"

"No, not really. I just want to go home." I said, and gasped when I felt something weird inside me. My hands went up to touch my stomach immediately, and I almost started praying that this wasn't another threatened miscarriage.

He was kneeling by my side before I realized, looking at me with a panicked expression.

"What's wrong? Are you having any abdominal pains again? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" he asked in one breath. I closed my eyes, and started caressing my belly slowly.

"No, it's not abdominal pain. It's something different that I can't describe." I was a little calmer now that I had ruled out abdominal pain. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Edward had one of the brightest smiles I had ever seen and I was a bit confused.

"Bella, the baby is moving around. Does it feel like butterflies fluttering, but a little stronger?" He wasn't even able to contain his grin while he talked.

"I guess so." I had thought that this fluttering sensation was due to me being so anxious with this conversation and didn't even consider the possibility of this being the baby moving around. I had heard that women could feel it when they were sixteen weeks along, like me, but I had always thought it would take a little longer. "Are you sure?"

"I'm a doctor, you can trust me."

I chuckled with that and rubbed my stomach again, hoping that she would want to move again.

"Okay, McCoy, sorry for questioning your knowledge," I apologized in a sarcastic tone.

"You know, maybe she's excited to hear her papa's voice. I've always talked to her while you were sleeping, so she probably missed me." After saying that, Edward turned his attention to my belly and started to talk to it. "Did you miss me, baby girl?"

Edward kneeling down and talking softly to my baby bump was beautiful, but I noticed that his actions were starting to draw attention.

"People are staring, Edward!" I stage whispered, feeling my face get hotter. Damn, I knew I was blushing and probably resembling a tomato. Even with my pleading, Edward didn't get up and continued cooing. "Everyone is going to think you've gone crazy, because I don't really look pregnant. So, would you stop talking to my stomach?"

Edward pouted a little, just like a child who had been denied access to the candy store, and returned to his seat.

"Did you think she moved more while I was talking?" He sounded hopeful, and I only nodded in response. I didn't have the heart to say I hadn't paid attention because I was too uncomfortable with everyone staring at us. "Do you want to go now? I bought a million chick flicks that you might like. I have the day off, so maybe we could watch them?"

I would be lying if I said I hadn't missed Edward's adorable crooked smile. It was like it had this amazing power to make me smile back.

"Yeah, we can."

I got my bag and got up while Edward placed a few bills on the table. My legs were still a bit shaky, but that was because of the excitement rather than me being nervous. I liked that feeling.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked with an arm coming around my waist to steady me. Was I really so wobbly that he had noticed?

"I'm great," I answered, and I wasn't even lying. This was the first time in days I felt happy without having any worries.

While we were making our way to the hotel, my hand found its way to hold his. Edward smiled at this and leaned down to kiss my cheek. This felt like progress and that was all it mattered at the moment.

**A/N:Thank you so much for the PTB and everyone who read and reviewed last chapter! I am really busy, but I'll do my best to update in two weeks, okay? Tanya's ex fiancee is back and Bella and Edward are going to try work things out. What did you think about that?**


	14. Truce

_Bella_

I never agreed more with that old saying that there is no place like home. Really, I didn't realize how much I missed the apartment until I was lying in bed, surrounded by the familiar smell.

It was the last day of my imposed break from work, and, weirdly enough, I decided to have a lazy day with movies and popcorn instead of working on my laptop. I knew that I would be busy as soon as I stepped into Alette's office, so I should probably enjoy this day.

"Hey," Edward said as he stepped inside the bedroom. I noticed that he sounded a little hesitant, not that I blamed him. Even though I had agreed to come back, there was still this tension between us. It was like we were afraid of saying or doing something wrong and ruining our new-found truce. "I brought you something."

I looked at him and saw that he was holding a bucket full of popcorn. Sometimes, it was like he was able to read my mind. The movie I was watching had ended and I was going downstairs to get a refill.

"How did you know?" I asked, extending my arms to get the popcorn. Unconsciously, I was trying to get him a little closer. Ever since I came back, Edward was trying his best to give me some space instead of hounding me. He even decided to sleep in the guest room and leave the master suite to me. At first I thought it was a good idea, but now I just wanted him to be here with me.

"I was in the living room and noticed that you were going to the kitchen every two hours to get more popcorn. I thought I should make myself useful, I guess." He shrugged and opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. I wanted to say that he could talk to me about anything, but I stayed silent. "Well, I should probably go. Hope your movie is nice."

There was something about the way his hands were stuffed in the pockets of his pants that made him look like a vulnerable boy. He was turning around, about to leave, when I realized that I wanted him to be there with me. I was tired of that distance between us.

"Do you want to stay? I mean, I might be pregnant and eating like crazy, but there is no way I'll be able to finish this." I made up this excuse, even though it was blatantly obvious that I wasn't concerned about the food. I just wanted him there. "Stay," I whispered, patting the mattress.

In a matter of seconds, there was a change in Edward's expression and his lips curved in a smile.

"Are you sure? Because I know that you want your space and I don't want to make-" he started to ramble, but I cut him off. I already knew what he was going to say, anyway.

"Yes, I'm sure. Just sit down and let's watch the movie." My tone left no room for discussion, so Edward walked toward the bed and sat down.

"So, what are we watching this time?" he asked, sounding more excited than before. I looked at him, and I just knew that I was smiling sheepishly. "What's with the smile, Bella?"

"Well, I wasn't really expecting you. I don't think you'll enjoy the selection I chose, because they all consist of chick flicks and I know they're not your favorite."

Edward just chuckled and shook his head.

"Bella, I'm sitting here with you in bed. I'm being honest when I say I don't care about what movie we're watching. Besides, I can always close my eyes and sleep and then just nod when you talk about how much you loved the movie."

"That's not cool, Edward." I lightly slapped him on the chest without even thinking about it. His lips were curled in a small smile, as if he was trying not to laugh out loud. "And don't think that I'll fall for that anymore!"

I knew we were both remembering the time when I had started bragging to the girls that Edward was a fan of Audrey Hepburn. We had watched three of her movies back to back and he hadn't even complained once. In the end, Edward had fallen asleep in the first half hour and didn't want to outright say he had been bored.

"I'm not going to try that, don't worry. I remember how mad you were."

"I wasn't mad, Edward. I just liked to tell people my husband loved _Breakfast at Tiffany's_. The girls were kind of jealous of that." I admitted, feeling a little foolish. "Now that we established that you're not going to fall asleep, can I start the movie? The popcorn is getting cold." I grabbed the remote control and pressed play.

The movie started playing and that was when I remembered what it was about. I looked at Edward, trying to see if his expression had changed. It hadn't, and I exhaled in relief and went back to staring at the television.

I chose _Nine Months_ and Ijust realized some similarities between the movie and our life.

"Damn, what a jerk," Edward muttered, obviously talking about the protagonist. At least he didn't think I was trying to tell him something by making him watch this movie. I nodded, staying silent. "Are you okay?" he asked after some minutes, and it took me a few seconds to understand that he was talking about my tears.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assured him, wiping my eyes. Every time I watched this movie, I would cry and the pregnancy hormones didn't help that matter. "This story always gets me."

"Oh," he said, but continued staring at me as if he was trying to read my mind. I was starting to get a little uncomfortable with that. "I'm sorry."

I turned my head, and I was sure my forehead was frowned in confusion. Why was Edward saying this right now?

"You're sorry for what?"

"For everything that happened. I didn't want things to happen this way, you know? I never realized how much of a jerk I was until now." Edward looked down as if he was ashamed.

"We don't need to talk about this right now, Edward. This is supposed to be a light day without concerns, remember?" I said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, I didn't want to admit this, but I'm afraid of going to therapy." His voice was so quiet that I almost had to read his lips to understand what he said.

"Why?"

"What if the therapist says we're completely screwed and completely wrong for each other?" There was a hint of desperation in his eyes, and I felt a little helpless. I had been so focused on the fact that the marriage counseling would help us and hadn't consider this.

"I'm here, aren't I? We've been together for quite some time. I'm sure one of us would have realized if we were completely wrong for each other. And we're going through a tough time right now, but we're not screwed," I said, wondering when our roles had been reversed. Usually, it was me doubting things and Edward trying to reassure me.

"I know that I don't say it all the time, but I do love you and I really regret doing what I did. I was weak, and I hate that."

"I know you're sorry and that's one of the reasons why I decided to come back. I've heard about the doctor and I really think she'll be able to help us." I ran a hand through his hair, and he closed his eyes at the second. This action always calmed him down.

"I missed you, you know? This apartment is way too big for one person," Edward murmured, before kissing the palm of my hand. "I thought you would leave me, especially after I heard Jake was in town."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his words. Edward was trying to be subtle when talking about Jake, but it wasn't working. It was clear that he was trying to fish for information, so I decided to put him out of his misery.

"Jake came here for a job interview and he already left. He stayed with me for a few days and that's it. Before you freak out or anything, we were in a suite with two bedrooms."

"I'm just surprised that you talked to Jake and you're here after that," he said and then tried to explain it when he saw my indignant expression. "I mean, you really listen to Jake and I don't think he had nice things to say about me when he heard about what happened."

It was almost funny how distorted Edward's vision was. Even after years, Edward still believed Jake didn't like him. While this fact was true when we were teenagers, Jake didn't hold any resentment towards Edward anymore.

"Actually, Jake was the one who told me that I should talk to you as soon as possible. He kind of defended you," I told him, watching the look of utter surprise appear on his face. "He wants us to be happy."

"That's surprising," was all Edward managed to say, and I smiled at his loss of words.

There was a moment of silence again, and I used that opportunity to get closer to him and lay my head on his chest. It had been too long since we last stayed in that position and I missed it. His body was warm, like always, and it made me feel secure. It made me feel like I was home.

I was perfectly content in staying like that until the movie ended, but I had to talk to him about something.

"I'd like to have a talk with Tanya, just to clear everything. It's kind of like closure, you know?" That idea popped up a few days ago, and wouldn't leave me. I didn't know why, but I felt like I had to talk to her.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? You know what happened the last time…" Edward trailed off, probably not wanting to mention the argument we had. Weirdly enough, thinking about that didn't hurt anymore. I had other things to be concerned with.

"Yeah, but I was upset last time and let the anger get the best of me. I'm completely rational now, not that I was irrational before." I added the last part with a small smile.

"It's your choice, but aren't you going to get stressed? You made it clear that you hate her, so why would you want to meet someone you hate?" His words made me reflect a little. I didn't hate Tanya; I just didn't like the girl she used to be. Maybe this was why I needed to talk to her, to know who she was now.

"I don't really know Tanya, Edward. I don't hate her. Don't start getting all cocky, but you were right." I didn't really like to admit that, but it was true. "If she's here to stay, we'll eventually run into each other and I want to be able to be nice, you know?" I had no idea if what I had just said made any sense. I looked up and saw Edward nodding.

"Well, if that's what you want, you should do it. I just don't want you to get upset again, that's all. Baby girl can't handle you feeling bad anymore." He patted my stomach lightly.

"You really need to stop calling her that. We need to give her a name, Edward." Just as I said that, I felt something fluttering inside. I was beginning to think that this baby only got excited when Edward was around. Of course she would be a daddy's girl even when she was inside my belly. "She wants to have a name."

His hand went back to touching my stomach and then rested on top of my own hand. I didn't think he was able to feel her moving, but he obviously didn't care.

"Alice gave you a huge book with names. Why don't both of us make a list and then we'll compare? It's not like we don't have time."

"We still have some time to go, but I want everything to be perfect and ready for when she arrives, you know? Besides, I'm scared that I'll have no idea of what to name her. I really don't want to bring her home as Baby Girl Cullen," I admitted, smiling at my foolish fear.

"She'll have a name; don't worry your pretty little head," Edward said lightly, kissing the top of my head. His answer pleased me and I didn't say anything else about that.

"I know that this has nothing to do with the matter, but I need to ask this before I call Tanya..." I felt a little bad for changing the subject like that. However, this was something I needed to know. "What is she really like? You know, beneath that spoiled exterior."

Edward sighed. He probably didn't expect my question. After all, we didn't talk about our exes like that. We just acknowledged that they existed, said one or two funny stories and that was it. Actually, we had never talked about Tanya that much before she reentered our lives.

"She's a nice person, Bella. I don't know what else to say." His voice sounded uncomfortable, and I couldn't blame him. It wasn't like he was going to sing Tanya's praises to me.

"Did you love her?" I questioned. This was some kind of morbid curiosity that I couldn't ignore. "I mean, during the time you two dated?"

"Do you want the real truth or the truth that will make you happy?"

I chuckled at that. At least he had the decency of being concerned with my feelings.

"The real truth. I'm a big girl, I can handle it." It wouldn't hurt to know that he had loved her at some point of his life. I married him and was pregnant with his child. It was safe to say that I had won in the end.

"Yes, I loved her in the three years we dated. But it's different because we were kids, and didn't really know what we were doing," he explained, and I wasn't surprised with this. "You know you are my first mature and really serious relationship I've had."

"I know." I nodded in acknowledgment.

"What I had with Tanya was fine, but it was also crazy and kind of unstable."

"Would you have gotten back together with her? Had you not been with me?" I kind of regretted asking that, because this question made me feel a bit apprehensive. How would I feel if he said yes?

"No, I wouldn't have. My relationship with Tanya was good while it lasted, you know? We grew up and we weren't right for each other anymore."

"How do you know that? She broke up with you and that was it. I didn't know you two had talked after that."

"Tanya showed up at Dartmouth one day to visit a friend and we ended up talking. We apologized and decided that we would be better off as friends."

"I didn't know that," I said, starting to regret having this conversation in the first place.

"It happened before you even started Dartmouth."

"Oh." I let out a relieved sound and sat up. For some reason, I was starting to feel too restless to continue lying down.

"Don't you think we should stop talking about Tanya, she doesn't matter anymore." Edward held my face between his hands and leaned down to kiss me on the mouth. I let out a small moan at that light contact. It had been so long and I really missed being with Edward.

"Enough about her," I whispered before pulling him even closer by his neck.

There were soft and then hard kisses for I don't know how long. I didn't want to stop, but I had to because I was starting to feel a little lightheaded. Even after years, kissing Edward still had that effect on me.

"I missed you," Edward murmured against my neck. I was so distracted by the way his teeth were gently scraping my skin that I didn't realize what he was saying right away. "You feel so good, Bella."

I sighed in pleasure, and started to tug at his t-shirt. I just wanted to feel his skin against my hands. Edward understood what I was trying to do and took off his t-shirt in two seconds. He looked more handsome than ever, and all I wanted to do was kiss him. I didn't resist that impulse and leaned down to kiss him again.

"Do you really want to do this?" He tried to make sure, even though his fingers were playing with the strap of my tank top. His voice was raspy and I was almost sure he could make me do anything if he continued talking to me like that.

"Yes, I do. Please, make love to me, Edward," I said in a pleading tone, my breath hitching when his hands started to caress my body.

That was when I knew that absence did make the heart grow fonder. And it also made the sex feel more amazing.

* * *

I wasn't as nervous as the last time I had a talk with Tanya, but I wasn't as calm as a cucumber either. Even though I knew that this was supposed to be a somewhat friendly talk, I was afraid that Tanya would throw everything that happened into my face.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Tanya said as a greeting before sitting down. She seemed to be a little hesitant. Maybe because the last time we had a talkwasn't so pleasant for her.

"It's okay; I got here a few minutes ago." I was trying to make my voice as nice as possible. Just to show her that I wasn't here to attack her like before.

"I know I told you this before, but I'm really surprised you wanted to have lunch with me," Tanya commented, putting her handbag along with a few shopping bags on the other chair. "I knew we had some problems, but I was convinced that we wouldn't solve them."

"To be honest, I didn't feel like I was ready to deal with you. However, I found out some things and I had to talk to you," I explained to her. As soon as I was finished talking, the waiter arrived with my water.

"I'm so jealous of you right now," I blurted out and almost covered my mouth. I was thinking it, but I wasn't supposed to say it.

"Why is that?" she asked with a warm smile. Wow, she wasn't looking or sounding like the spoiled brat she was, or used to be.

"Because you can have alcohol and coffee. I'm stuck with water and juice."

Tanya chuckled at my confession and it was like the tension had dissipated a little. There was still some, but we were both feeling a little more comfortable.

"I'm sorry for that article. I really had no idea when you came to talk to me. Addison was trying to use me to get a promotion, apparently. She works in a PR company and she only threw the party to show her boss she could do it, or something like that. When the party didn't attract much attention, she decided to make up that horrible story and contacted Page Six."

"Edward told me that, but he left out the details," I said when she was done with the explanation. Was it weird that I felt bad that I had accused her in the first place?

"When I read the article, I felt as humiliated as you. They basically accused me of being a home wrecker. I understand why you were so mad at that time."

I nodded, not really knowing what to say to that. I never had a conversation with Tanya, so I was unsure of what I should do next. Maybe I should go to the main subject.

"I'm sorry, for accusing you and for your so-called friend. I know what it's like and I don't wish that on anyone." I was being honest, not only trying to seem nice. "It's nice that we cleared this up, but I wanted to see you to discuss some other things."

Even though I hadn't actually said anything, Tanya realized what this was about.

"Edward told you," she said, and it wasn't even in a questioning tone. I nodded, taking another sip of my water. "Finally."

I frowned, but then remembered what Edward had told me. Tanya had come clean to her fiancé and tried to get Edward to do the same. He was the one who refused to say anything. It was kind of ironic that out of the two of them, Tanya was the person trying to do the right thing.

"I just want to tell you that I'm really sorry for what happened. It wasn't something planned, we met at a bar and got drunk. I can't even remember the trip from the bar to the hotel. Next thing I knew we were kissing in bed and then we pushed each other away. I think Edward slept on the floor."

"Look, I'll be honest here. I don't think you manipulated Edward or got him drunk in purpose, but you're his ex girlfriend. Are you sure you didn't take advantage of the situation?" I had that doubt, and wanted to clear it up.

"Take advantage of the situation to do what? Suck face with him? Bella, I had no idea why we ended up making out. Edward's a handsome man, but I don't want him."

I was analyzing her every move, and Tanya sounded sincere. Well, at least when it came to this, she sounded like she was telling the truth.

"I believe you about this, but that wasn't the impression I got when I saw you at that party Esme was threw."

I could still remember the way Tanya had acted then. She had worn a little smirk, like she knew something I didn't. Not only that, she had made some remarks with the intent of causing trouble between me and Edward.

Tanya sighed, and took a big gulp of her martini.

"You're right. I acted poorly that night when I shouldn't have." She started tapping her nails on the wood table, as if she was trying to figure out what to say next. "When I saw you two, I felt a little angry. I was angry because I was honest and did everything right, and I was alone. Edward lied and he was happy. It didn't seem fair to me, you know? I was trying to lash out."

Even though I didn't necessarily agree with her actions, I understood her point. Perhaps I wouldn't make comments like the ones she did, but I wouldn't be happy in her situation either.

"That was why you mentioned Sardinia? You wanted me to be suspicious of something." I concluded, remembering her words from that night.

"Maybe at first, but then I realized how happy you two looked together. That was when I decided that it was better not to say anything. When Edward and I met up for coffee, I assured him I wouldn't interfere and that nobody needed to know."

"Wait, what?" I stammered, and tried to make sure that I had heard Tanya correctly. Did she just say she had gone out with Edward for coffee? I didn't know whether to be angry or humiliated.

"Shit, I thought you knew about this." She seemed to be really uncomfortable with the situation. "We met up and talked for fifteen minutes. I can guarantee you that nothing happened."

"Even if nothing happened, I think I have the right to know." I replied, feeling a little frustrated with the situation. I had given Edward a chance to come forward and tell me everything he needed to, and he chose not to say anything.

"I'm sorry. I thought Edward filled you in when he told you about what happened."

"Well, he didn't." I snapped.

"He was probably being a pussy, afraid that you would kick his ass for that."

A giggle escaped my lips before I noticed. Wow, I felt like I was in an alternative universe right now. After all, I was sitting and laughing with Tanya Denali and I didn't hate her company.

"I'll probably kick his butt." I didn't actually know what I was going to do, but Edward would probably have to spend his nights on the couch, for starters.

"Good for you. Oh, I have something for you," Tanya announced excitedly and started to go through her shopping bags. "Here." She handed me a small shopping bag from Tiffany & Co.

"You didn't have to do that," I said while opening that famous blue box and saw what was inside. It was a silver baby rattle.

"My mom always told me that every baby should have one." Tanya explained, blushing a little. "Too much happened, and I understand your hesitation in getting closer to me. I just want you to know that I'm not that girl you met in high school. Fuck, I'm not proud of many things I did when I was in high school, but I grew up and I'm a different person now."

"Look Tanya, I appreciate this, but I don't think we'll be close friends. As you said, too much happened between us. I know you're probably different, but I need some time and space. Right now, I have some bad memories associated with you. Maybe we'll be kind of friends in the future, but now is not the time."

Tanya nodded understandingly and gave me a small smile.

"That's okay. Can we have a truce and be acquaintances, then?" She extended her hand so I would shake it. I looked at it for a few seconds, wondering if that would be the best move to make.

It would be nice not to worry about Tanya anymore. I should be solely focused on my pregnancy, my marriage and my job.

"Acquaintances," I said while shaking her hand. "You gave me a gift, so it's only fair I also give you one." I went through my wallet and found what I was looking for. It was Nathan Callaghan's business card. Judging by the look of her face, she had no idea Nathan was so close to her. "He's having an exhibition at a gallery in Soho. You'll find it very interesting."

"He's here in New York?" Tanya asked quietly as she looked at the card as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "Thank you, Bella."

"You're welcome." With that, I started to feel like the most mature woman in the world. Yeah, it was an exaggeration, but I didn't care. I was able to overcome the one thing that was really troubling me.

My phone started to ring loudly, and my little personal moment was over. "Hello?"

"Bella, it's me, Carlisle."

"Oh, hey Carlisle." I was a little confused, because I didn't really know why he was calling me at that time.

"Look, I need you to stay calm. How fast can you get here, to the hospital?" he asked. Even though he asked me to be calm, I noticed a nervous tinge on his voice.

What was going on?

"In ten minutes or so. What's wrong?" I felt bad for my demanding tone, but I couldn't be blamed. Carlisle stayed quiet on the other side of the line, and my heart sped up. "Carlisle, please."

There was a pause of a few seconds before he said one of the worst things I could hear, but it felt like hours had passed.

"Something happened to Edward."

**A/N: Look, it's an early update! Thanks so much to the betas at PTB that worked really fast and everyone who read and reviewed last chapter! I decided to post this chapter early because the next two weeks will be really busy to me. I have no idea if I'll be able to update the next chapter in two weeks, but I'll try my hardest. **


	15. Scared and Exhausted

_Previously:_

_"Look, I need you to stay calm. How fast can you get here, to the hospital?" he asked. Even though he asked me to be calm, I noticed a nervous tinge on his voice._

_What was going on?_

"In ten minutes or so. What's wrong?" I felt bad for my demanding tone, but I couldn't be blamed. Carlisle stayed quiet on the other side of the line, and my heart sped up. "Carlisle, please."

_There was a pause of a few seconds before he said one of the worst things I could hear, but it felt like hours had passed._

_"Something happened to Edward."_

_Bella_

People have always said that cliche that everything could change in a minute, and at that moment, I was very aware of that. Ten minutes ago, I was feeling kind of great because I had finally solved that horrible situation with Tanya. Now, I was trembling and freaking out because Carlisle had called to let me know something had happened to Edward.

My heart was pounding and I wanted to sleep and pretend that all of this was a nightmare. But I knew I couldn't do that, so I kept myself together. Everything happened so fast that I was already in the hospital, and I couldn't really remember how I got there.

The hospital seemed to be a little busier than usual and I was pretty sure I had seen two police officers. They had this worried look on their faces, and I told myself that it had nothing to do with Edward.

People always looked worried when they were at a hospital, right?

I saw Carlisle standing in the hallway talking to another doctor. From what I could see, they were speaking in hushed tones, and Carlisle's expression could be translated to controlled panic. That made me even more nervous because I had never seen him like that.

"Bella!" he exclaimed as soon as he saw me. Somehow, and I really didn't know how, Carlisle managed to change his facial expression. His lips were curled in a gentle smile while I was sure everyone was able to read the desperation just by looking at me.

"What happened? Is Edward okay?" I started firing the questions without even pausing to take a breath. There was silence instead of his voice, and I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. "Look, just tell me. It doesn't matter if it's something horrible."

Even though I had just said I was ready for anything, I knew I definitely wasn't ready to hear that Edward was dead or in a coma.

"A few weeks ago, one of Edward's patients died on the table. Apparently, it was a vaguely simple procedure, but it had too many complications. Edward wasn't the only doctor, of course, but he was the one who talked to the family the most. This loss had a significant impact on Edward." Carlisle started to explain the situation, and I nodded.

I could remember very well that Edward had given so much attention to this case and that he was almost depressed when his young patient died. To be honest, I had never seen him so distraught with his work.

"The patient's father came here, looking very distraught and demanding to talk to Edward. He had a knife, there was a struggle, and Edward was stabbed and fell down the stairs."

"Stabbed?" I asked, not believing that I had heard that word. I didn't know what I had been expecting, but the possibility of Edward being stabbed hadn't entered my mind. "Is he…?" I couldn't complete my question. Even saying _Edward_ and the word _dead _in the same sentence was impossible for me.

"No. He went into shock, but he's receiving proper care right now. He's going to be okay."

I wondered if he was saying that to calm me down or if it was to convince himself. It was probably the latter, but I could never tell with Carlisle. In this aspect, Edward was very similar to his father. They were both introspective sometimes and became very hard to read.

"Does anyone else know? I mean, did you call Esme, Alice ,and Emmett?" I didn't even want to imagine how Esme was feeling. After all, my daughter wasn't even born and I couldn't fathom how I would react if someone hurt my baby like that.

"Yeah, Esme is coming, but I don't know when Alice and Emmett will be able to get here." He looked at me, and then raised his eyebrows, as if he had just noticed that I had been standing there. "Bella, why don't you sit down? This stress isn't good for you." He pointed to a chair that looked really uncomfortable.

I would've said no, but he had a point. Besides, I didn't know how long we would have to wait until we had any news and my legs were starting to tremble a little.

What a horrible time to wear heels.

A few minutes after I had settled in the chair, a doctor came to us. By the way Carlisle tensed up, I guessed that this was the doctor in charge of Edward's case. I tried to study his facial expression and figure out what he was going to say next, but gave up when I couldn't get anything.

"Dr. Reynolds, what can you tell me?" Carlisle asked, his voice tinged with fear. Dr. Reynolds clasped a hand on his shoulder and nodded with a smile.

"He is fine. We've finished with the procedure now, and he was transferred to a private room," Dr. Reynolds announced, and I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off my chest. To be honest, I had no idea what I would do if something happened to Edward. "He'll recover well, and the only lasting injury now is a broken leg."

Carlisle let out a nervous and relieved laugh, and ran a hand through his hair. It was only at that moment that I noticed how exhausted Carlisle really looked. I had always looked at him as one of the strongest men I had ever met, so it was kind of weird to see him like that, so fragile.

"Can we see him now?" I asked, feeling impatience and anxiousness overtake me. It wasn't like I didn't trust Dr. Reynolds, but I just needed to see Edward and make sure he was alright.

"He's not awake, but sure, you can see him," Dr. Reynolds said with a small smile, and I guessed it was supposed to make me a little calmer. "But, I'll have to ask you to go one at a time, just for the time being."

"Oh. Maybe you should go first," I suggested. Even though I was anxious to see him, I knew Carlisle also needed to check on his son.

"It's okay, you can go first. I have to talk to some people. Besides, I can see how nervous you are, and you'll only calm down when you make sure that Edward is okay."

I didn't say anything, because I knew Carlisle was right. I wouldn't calm down completely until I saw Edward. So, I got up on my shaky legs and made my way to his room. I just hoped I wouldn't faint before I got to see him.

I walked into the room with unsure steps, probably because I didn't know what to expect. Even though the doctor had said Edward was going to be fine, I still hated to see him lying on a hospital bed. He looked so fragile, and before I noticed, I felt tears running down my cheeks

* * *

"We should stop doing this, you know?" I asked in a small voice as I approached his bed. Deep down, I was being honest. It seemed like every time we needed to have a serious conversation, one of us would end up in the hospital. "Damn, Edward, how could someone stab you?"

Even if the whole thing was somehow accidental, from what Carlisle had told me, I couldn't believe that someone would hurt Edward like that. I knew my husband wasn't perfect by any means, but doing something that seemed so brutal to him was beyond my understanding.

I pulled a chair that was in the corner of the room to his bedside so I could be close to him. Also, I didn't think I could stay up on my feet for much longer. That combination of feeling crazy worried and then relieved was too strong, and my body was starting to take a toll from the stress.

"There's a lot we need to work on, Edward. I met up with Tanya, and I realized I don't hate her. Well, I don't dislike her as much as I thought I did. You were right, she's not out to get you and she's grown up up a lot. However, I'm mad at you because you still hid things from me." I let it all out, as if Edward could actually hear me. I guessed I just needed to talk, and it didn't really matter if I was being heard or not. "I'm mad, but we can work this out. You have to get better, okay?"

I continued to stare at him, almost as if I expected him to wake up and start talking to me. It was only then that I noticed the tears that were running down my cheeks had multiplied. I wiped them with the back of my hand and turned my attention back to Edward.

His face was bruised and his leg was broken, all caused by the fall he took. I leaned down and kissed his forehead, putting a hand on his chest. The small, up and down movement of his chest was enough to calm me down even further.

There was a soft knock on the door, and I took my eyes off Edward to see Alice entering the room.

"You're okay?" she asked with a weak voice that was very uncharacteristic of her. Well, I guessed that having your sibling stabbed could make you act differently.

"Well, not really okay, but it doesn't matter," I answered honestly, before getting up to give her a hug. "You don't need to worry; he's going to be okay," I whispered into her hair when I realized that she was the one who was not okay.

"I know, I know, but he's my big brother and he's there, all hurt."

"It's worse than it looks," I said to comfort her, even though I didn't know if that was true. I hoped it was, at least. "The doctor told me that he'll be fine very soon. Have you talked to your dad?"

"No, he couldn't talk to me because a police officer arrived and..." Alice trailed off and started to clench and unclench her fists nervously. "My brother was stabbed and the police are involved in this."

"I'm sure they're just asking questions. This is probably the standard procedure." I tried to assure her in the best way I could, which was probably not very effective.

"How are you doing this?" She gestured in my direction, and then she pointed at Edward. I didn't have an answer to that because I didn't understand what she was trying to say. So I just shook my head, clearly confused. "How are you not freaking out and crying all over the place?"

Her question made me crack a small smile. Only Alice would be able to make me smile at the moment.

"I am crying Alice, but I guess I'm trying to focus on the positive things the doctor told me," I explained, before sitting on the couch, leaving the chair vacant for Alice. Maybe she needed some time with her brother to realize he would be okay.

Like I had expected, Alice sat down and held Edward's hand. Neither of us talked for a few minutes, until she turned her head to face me.

"Did they tell you what happened, you know, in detail?" she asked in a small voice, and I didn't really know what to say. Alice was very upset already, and I didn't want to make the situation even worse.

"Carlisle told me that a patient's father did it. I guess he was too consumed by grief to realize what he was doing."

"Oh." Alice turned her head back and focused her attention on her brother. I felt bad just by looking at her. Alice was looking like a small, fragile child with her shoulders hunched and tears falling down her face.

"Did you call Jasper and Emmett? I didn't have the chance to call anyone since I got here."

Even though I was concerned with everyone else, I wanted Jasper to be here because he was the only one who would be able to say the right words to Alice at the moment.

"Emmett is with Jasper and they're coming. Mom's in Connecticut trying to get here as fast as possible."

I nodded without saying anything and leaned down, trying to get comfortable.

"Hey, are you okay?" I heard Alice ask, and even with my eyes closed, I could tell she was frowning. "I know you said you were okay, but you don't look good at all. No offense."

I let out a small laugh, but I was hit with a sudden lightheadedness. That was when I remembered that I hadn't eaten in a long time, and that was probably not a good thing.

"I think my blood sugar levels are low."

"Yeah, you're looking a little pale. Want me to get you something to eat?"

"No, I'll just stay like this and wait until the room stops spinning. Besides, I don't think I can eat anything. I feel like my stomach is in knots," I said, rubbing my belly and taking a deep breath. "It'll get better in a few minutes."

Alice looked at me a little suspiciously, as if I was lying about getting better. She was really starting to act like Edward and that was kind of scary.

"I'll stay here with you until you get better and we can go to the cafeteria. I didn't have lunch either, and now that I know things with Edward are okay, I'm starting to feel a little hungry." Alice walked up to me and sat by my side on the couch. Just like we used to do when we little, she rested her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

I closed mine too, and just with that, I started to feel better.

* * *

"I can't believe we ended up falling asleep on that couch. Now I have a stiff neck," Alice complained while massaging her neck and shoulders. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes I am, but you already know that, Alice," I said with a small smile. I appreciated her concern, but it was a little annoying to have her asking me if I was okay over and over again. "All of this wore me out. I'm really tired."

"Maybe it would be better for you to go home and get some sleep. You know, in a comfortable bed," she suggested, taking a bite of her sandwich. "It's not like Edward will be alone, everyone's here."

I was seriously considering that option by now. However, I didn't want to leave Edward and go home alone. It didn't matter if everyone was there; I was his wife and I wanted to be by his side.

"No, I'll stay until he is awake. I'd hate for him to wake up alone, you know?" I said, sipping on my orange juice. "It's fine, really. I already ate and I have you to keep me company."

"Oh, so you want me to be your personal source of amusement?" Alice asked with her lips curled in a grin. "I don't think I have an interesting story to tell you at the moment. Unless you want to talk about the argument I had with my co-worker about stripes."

I laughed, remembering some of the fashion-related heated arguments that happened at Alette.

"Okay, I have an interesting story for you. I met up with Tanya today." Maybe this wasn't the right time to talk about this, but I would probably go crazy if I didn't talk to someone.

"Are you serious? Did you run into her or something?" Alice's eyes were so wide that it was funny. She was obviously very surprised that I was acting so nonchalantly about the matter.

"No. Actually, I was the one who called her. We needed to talk, and it was a long time coming, you know?"

"Wow, I really didn't expect you to do that. I thought you would just ignore Tanya's existence." Alice shrugged and I thought about her words.

Yeah, I was pretty happy to just ignore Tanya, but I knew that I needed to talk to her to get over the problem. Besides, I needed to make sure that she didn't have any residual feelings for Edward. I was very relieved to see she didn't want Edward, and she was very much in love with her ex -fiancé.

"Yeah, but I'm glad I went. There's no more doubt or fear that Tanya is after Edward. We still have to work on our own problems, but I feel like things are going to be better." I smiled, even though my mind was filled with the things I needed to talk about with Edward. I wasn't really looking forward that particular confrontation.

"I'm happy if you're happy, Bella." She covered my hand with hers and gave me one of her sweet smiles.

"Thanks. I know I can always count on you to support me."

Jasper, who had been outside talking to Emmett, walked up to our table and leaned down to kiss Alice's cheek. Just like each and every one of us, he was looking exhausted. I completely understood why he was like that. Jasper was the one in charge of comforting both siblings and that couldn't be an easy task.

"I have good news for you. Edward is awake and he wants to see you," he said the last part looking at me, and I felt myself getting anxious.

"I should go see him." I stood up and looked at Alice, who was still sitting down. "Are you coming with me?"

"I'm going to force a sandwich down Jasper's throat first," she said, shooting Jasper a pointed look. Jasper rolled his eyes, and I was almost sure it was to irritate her.

Well, I wasn't going to question his method to cheer her up.

"Okay." That was all I could say. It was kind of stupid, but I was feeling nervous.

"I'm sure everything will be okay," Alice assured me, and I knew that she wasn't only talking about Edward's health. I nodded, smiling, before turning around to leave the cafeteria.

"It's going to be okay," I chanted in a low tone to calm myself as I walked to Edward's room.

* * *

"There you are!" Esme exclaimed as soon as I entered the room. "Edward has already called for you three times. You know how much of a whiner he can be," she said, looking at Edward with a loving smile.

"Yes, I do know that." I was happy to see that everyone was in a much better state than before. I had seen Esme a couple hours ago when she arrived at the hospital, and she was so inconsolable that it was heartbreaking.

"I wasn't whining, but even if I was, I think I'm allowed!" Edward said, sounding like a petulant child. I didn't care about that, though. He was there, alive, and looking fine, so that was all that mattered at the moment.

"Yes, you're allowed to be annoying right now." I walked over to stand by his bed. "Are you okay?" I asked, lightly touching his cheek.

"Yeah, the meds make everything okay." He had a small, dopey grin on his face, and I wondered if he was too drugged to really understand what had happened. "What's with the long face?"

Clearly, I wasn't hiding what I was thinking very well. I tried to put on a smile, but I had a feeling that it came out a little fake.

"No long face here, I'm just relieved that you're okay," I said, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I was really scared." My voice cracked for a moment, but it still didn't show how desperate I had been.

"Bella's been here for a while now," Esme piped in from her place near the door, and I knew that that was her way of telling me to go home and get some sleep. I ignored it, of course.

"You have? Thanks for staying with me."

He sounded and looked so grateful that it was almost funny. Even with the arguments and misunderstandings, there was no way I wouldn't try to be close to him when he was hurt.

"Now, come on. You know you don't have to thank me," I assured him, shaking my head lightly. "I'm really happy you're okay." I wiped a tear before leaning down to kiss him on the cheek.

"I love you and love that you're here with me, but I think it would be better if you went home to get some rest," Edward advised, probably noticing the bags under my eyes. When I thought about it, yes, I was really tired, but I didn't want to leave him.

"No, I want to stay here with you." Just as I was finishing my sentence, I let out a yawn. Damn, I was betrayed by my own body. Both Edward and Esme sent me identical looks of concern.

"This couch looks pretty uncomfortable, Bella. Besides, dad is on call so he'll probably be popping in to check on me and mom won't leave so soon. I promise I'll be okay."

I thought about my options here. Maybe I could just go home and sleep for some time. This whole situation left me really drained of energy, after all.

"Uh, okay, but please call me if you need anything, okay? I'll keep the phone right by my side and…" I was rambling, feeling like a mom that was leaving her child with someone else for the first time.

Edward let out a small laugh, followed by a groan. I gave him a look, silently asking him if he was really okay and not just lying so I wouldn't be worried.

"I'm a big boy and my mommy is here with me. I'm more concerned about you and this baby." He pointed to my belly with a smile. "Please?"

"I'm going home, but don't think you can get rid of me so easily," I whispered against his cheek and felt him smile.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of that, don't worry."

Esme walked over to me and pulled me in a tight hug as soon as I had finished talking to Edward. I knew that was her way of comforting me and telling me I didn't have to worry anymore. It didn't really help, but I appreciated it.

"Okay, I'm going now," I announced, grabbing my bag and coat. "Call me if you need anything. As you've said before, I'm five minutes away."

They just nodded without saying anything, and I figured that was my cue to leave.

* * *

"You're not going to stay?" Alice asked as I was walking down the hallway. She was much better after Jasper convinced her to get something to eat. "I mean, do you know when Edward's going to be discharged?"

"I don't really know, and Edward and your mother practically pushed me out the door and told me to go home and rest."

"Well, you do look very tired," she said, and I knew that was her polite way of saying I looked horrible. I loved her even more for telling me the truth without actually hurting my feelings.

"Hey, do you want to go home with me? I mean, if you're not going home with Jasper. I just don't want to be alone right now."

"Oh, Bella, of course I'll go with you. Jasper got a phone call from an angry client and he had to leave. So, let's be alone together." Alice wrapped her arms around my shoulders in a comforting manner. "Just like the old times, right?"

"Yeah," I agreed with a small laugh.

We were making our way to the exit door when, out of nowhere, a woman approached us, well me.

"You're Isabella Cullen, aren't you?" she asked, sounding and looking very distraught. I didn't say anything because I was too busy trying to remember who this woman was. Nothing came to mind, and I felt a little nervous that someone I didn't even know was asking for me.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know you. Maybe you're looking for another person." That was a weak excuse, but I just wanted to get that woman out of my way.

"No, I'm not. You're Dr. Edward Cullen's wife, and that's why I need to talk to you." Her eyes were red just like mine were, and I wondered if she had also been crying. "Please."

"If you're Edward's patient-" I started to say and tried to step aside, but she was quick to interrupt me in an anxious tone.

"I'll cut to the chase here. My name is Felicia Warner, and we need to talk because my husband assaulted yours."

All I could do at that moment was allow my jaw to drop, because I was really _not _expecting that.

**A/N: Can I say that I'm really sorry for taking so long to update? I was crazy busy with college and I was hit by an author's block. I had started writing this chapters months ago, but I only completed it this week. Don't worry, I am going to finish the story and I've already started writing the next chapter, so it shouldn't take too long for the next update. As usual, thanks to PTB for editing the chapter and everyone who reviewed the last chapter!**


	16. What can Bella do?

_Previously:_

_"If you're Edward's patient-" I started to say and tried to step aside, but she was quick to interrupt me in an anxious tone._

_"I'll cut to the chase here. My name is Felicia Warner, and we need to talk because my husband assaulted yours."_

_All I could do at that moment was allow my jaw to drop, because I was really not expecting that._

_Bella_

Really, who did people think I was? Superwoman? Because I just couldn't believe that on top of everything that had happened, this woman wanted to talk to me. I was trying to be calm and patient, but if she was here to apologize, I would probably go crazy with anger. I didn't know the etiquette for when your husband stabs someone, but I was sure that practically cornering the victim's family was not the appropriate thing to do.

My mind was working like crazy, filled with thoughts of outrage and disbelief. Maybe that was why I just couldn't think of anything to say. Actually, I couldn't decide on what to say, so there was this incredibly awkward silence. I opened my mouth to ask something, anything, but I stopped myself before any words came out. Thankfully, Alice realized the uncomfortable way I was looking down at my hands, and decided to speak out.

"Lady, I know you must be going through a difficult time, but so are we. So please respect us and give our space."

I knew Alice could be assertive, but I was so used to her nice side that I was a little surprised.

This woman, Felicia, blinked at us as if she couldn't really understand what Alice had just said, and I felt this rage sensation come up. I had never been the violent person, but my hands closed in fists and I had the urge to hit her.

"I know you're going through a hard time, and that's partially my fault, but I need to do this, you know?" Felicia said in a weak, pleading voice.

She looked horrible, with bags under her eyes and her black hair pulled in a messy bun. Looking at her appearance made me think about how much she was suffering, and that sparked a little bit of sympathy for her. However, there was no way I could deal with that situation at the moment. Not without sleep or a shower. I wasn't functioning very well, and whatever conversation she wanted to have with me would not be a nice one.

"Look," I started to say, carefully thinking over my next words. I was mad at her husband, but this was not the place for a confrontation or anything of the sort. "I know that whatever you want to say is important because you wouldn't be here otherwise. However, I can't talk to you right now because my husband in lying on a hospital bed. I don't know if you want to apologize and get things off your chest, but this is not the right time."

To be honest, I wanted to say that all the sleep I had gotten was in a hard couch and my back was killing me. I wanted to say that my head hurt from all the crying I had done. Really, I was dying to say those things, but I stick to the basics.

"No, I understand completely. I knew I shouldn't have come, but I had to try. Dr. Edward was always talking about you, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and talk to you," she said and looked down to the floor before raising her head to look me in the eye again.

"Wait, you're related to one of Edward's patients, aren't you?" I asked, vaguely remembering what Carlisle had told me.

"My son is…well, he was a patient here." Her voice broke and that was when I realized who she really was. "It was stupid to come, I apologize. Oh, please tell Doctor Cullen that we are all very sorry for what happened," Felicia said and turned around to leave. I felt a little relieved that she decided to not insist anymore, but, for some reason, I thought about how it would be like to be in her shoes. I had no doubt I would go crazy if my baby died, so that compelled me to listen to what she had to say.

"Wait, Felicia. If you went through all this trouble to come here, it's because what you have to say is important, right? I'm willing to talk to you, but not right now. Maybe you can give me your number and we can meet up later," I suggested, still feeling a little hesitant about this whole thing. However, I had just said it, so it was not like I could unsay everything.

"Thanks, Mrs. Cullen." Felicia let out a relieved sigh before extending her arm to shake my hand. "Again, I'm so sorry for doing this like I did. I feel like someone pulled the rug from beneath my feet, so I'm completely lost. You can call me when you're ready to talk. I won't try to ambush you again," she said, handing me a small card with her phone number.

"Maybe I would do the same in your place," I said, trying to comfort her for some reason. Even though I still didn't exactly know what she wanted to do with me, I could see that she was in a lot of pain and talking to me would help her.

"Well, not everyone I know would." Felicia's lips curled in a smile that didn't reach her eyes before leaving.

"Wow, I can't believe that just happened," Alice said, pretty much summing up what I was thinking. "Really, if Jasper stabbed someone, I wouldn't seek out the victim's wife."

"I know that, but there's something about her. She looked so hopeless that I couldn't just ignore her, you know? Maybe she just wants to apologize for everything."

"Maybe, but you are dealing with a lot right now. Are you sure you want this on your plate?" she asked, and I could tell that she was really trying to keep her thoughts to herself. I knew Alice enough to figure that she disagreed with my decision, but she respected enough me not to say anything.

However, what she was saying did have its merit. There was so much, probably too much, happening at the moment. I was pregnant, had to work through marital problems, and Edward had been hurt. It was a lot, come to think about it.

To be honest, I thought I said yes to Felicia just because she looked so miserable, and I felt like she needed this to be better. Perhaps the right thing to do was to stop thinking about others so much and focus on me more.

"If you want the truth, I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Well, I can tell you right now what we are going to do for the next few hours: sleep in that huge bed of yours, okay?" Alice suggested, wrapping me in a side hug again. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know," I answered, suddenly feeling even more exhausted than before, and I didn't think that was possible. "Let's go home, please."

All I wanted was to sleep and forget this was all happening.

* * *

"Rise and shine, sweetheart," Alice whispered, while rubbing my arm softly to wake me up. I groaned, covering my eyes from the bright light that came from the lamp at the bedside table. "You slept for a long time. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," I answered, even though I still felt like these hours of sleep weren't enough. "What's this?" I pointed to the plate filled with mini sandwiches she had just put on the table.

"Like I said, you've slept for a long time, and I figured you would be hungry. Besides, everyone says it's healthy to eat every three hours," she said, looking so excited that I didn't have the heart to tell her that I wasn't really hungry.

"You didn't have to do this, Alice. I know you're just as tired as I am." I sat up slowly, as I was still feeling like a car had hit me.

"It's okay. I was starting to feel restless anyway. So how are you _really_ feeling?" Alice asked while handing me a sandwich. I took a small bite so I wouldn't feel awkward by holding the food and not eating. "Don't lie."

"I wasn't planning on lying, but you gave me a nice idea."

Alice shook her head at my little joke and chuckled. If we were going to talk about something serious, we could at least laugh a little.

"Well, it's nice to see you didn't lose your sense of humor. Now, let's be serious again."

I sighed, not really knowing what to say. I wanted to talk about everything that was happening instead of keeping what I was feeling to myself, but I would probably cry, and I was so tired of crying.

"I don't know, Alice. Sometimes it doesn't feel like this is my life, you know?" I was pretty sure this didn't make sense to her, but I kept going anyway. "When I found out I was pregnant, I imagined that it would be nine months of being anxious, scared, but happy that we were going to have a baby. I thought it would be a nice and exciting ride."

"How has that been going for you?" Alice asked, trying to encourage me to continue talking. Not that I needed it, anyway. Talking about my feelings right now gave me a verbal diarrhea. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about," she assured me when I stayed silent for a minute.

"No, it's not that. Things are just confusing right now, you know? It feels like my life is going up and down all the time."

"Oh, Bella." Alice set her sandwich down and moved to give me a comforting hug. "I thought you two had worked things out when you decided to come home."

"We kind of did, I guess. I told Edward about the marriage counselor and he was open to that idea. He recognized he screwed up, I recognized I did some things wrong, and we were fine. When I finally think we'll go back to normal, I still find out that he kept something from me."

"It wasn't something horrible that will make you consider leaving again, was it?" Alice asked, and I felt like she was dreading my answer.

"No, not leaving. I'm disappointed and surprised that Edward and I got to this point? I'm not trying to say we never argued, but besides that fight when I broke the engagement, we only had silly arguments."

"I don't know everything that happened between you two, but Edward does love you, Bella. I hope you know that," Alice said with that assuring tone of hers, making me smile a little. "He's got his head in his butt many times, and I think he just dismisses some things because he doesn't realize how much it hurts you."

"I can't really understand his thought process these days. We used to read each other, and that was the weirdest and most comfortable thing. Now, I don't know what he's thinking, what he's feeling, and that makes me so sad that I avoid a conversation, you know? I think we both do." My voice took on a weird tone because of the uncomfortable sensation in my throat, and I couldn't say anything else. Alice started rubbing my back like she used to do when we were younger and I was upset. Weirdly enough, that gestured helped a lot.

"If anyone can get through this, it's you two," Alice stated with so much certainty that it made me feel better. "I know you're going to be okay, I just do."

"Yeah, I know we're going to be okay, but I don't know when that's going to happen or if we're going to be the same." My chin quivered slightly, indicating that I was about to cry. With some effort, I swallowed down my tears. "So, let's not talk about me anymore. How's your job?"

"It's going well. We're working on getting ready for fashion week, but I'm sure you already know. You're going to cover it this year, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I was going to Paris and London, but I got knocked up, so I'll stay here in New York. Well, I'm hoping I'll be able to do it, because I'll have a newborn baby home."

"Oh, now that's a good subject. Let's talk about babies, precisely yours," Alice said, sounding much more excited than before. I just let out a relieved breath for the fact that Alice chose not to talk about Felicia Warner. That was a delicate matter and discussing it once with Edward was more than enough. "Did you decide which room is going to be the nursery?"

"Not yet. We didn't start to full on shop yet," I said, getting excited. It was kind of weird that whenever I talked about my daughter, things seemed to get better. "But we're considering the guest room. It's just that, with everything, we're not doing much of baby planning around here."

"You know what?" Alice got up from the bed and started looking for something. I didn't know what it was until she grabbed my laptop bag and gave me an excited smile. "Maybe that's what you need to do to get your mind off things. Shopping can be therapeutic sometimes, so…" she trailed off, and I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I don't know, Alice. I'm still tired," I said, but she didn't pay me any attention and went back to bed, still holding the laptop.

"Come on, we'll be looking for baby things. I don't know what can be more entertaining than this." Alice argued, and before I could say anything else, she was already by my side with the computer on.

"Okay," I agreed and leaned back, watching Alice typing away and going through ten websites in less than five minutes. Even though her crazy fast typing was almost making me dizzy, I appreciated the fact that she was really trying to make me feel better. "Thank you."

"Thanks for what?" She turned her head to look at me with a confused expression.

"For staying with me and trying to cheer me up."

"Please, don't start with that. We both know that you would do the same for me, and you already have, many times in the past," Alice said, and turned her attention to the laptop again. "Now, what are your thoughts on pastel colors?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'm open to suggestions." I smiled, and we both began to discuss the best color palette for the nursery. Usually, I would be kind of bored with that topic, but that was what made me feel better for the rest of the evening.

* * *

"No, don't worry. The edited articles are with me, and I'll send them by mail in an hour, okay? Tell Celina to give me a call so we can talk about what the hell is going on with Jonathan Trent's collection. The whole thing is a nightmare, and we can't interview him if it's like that."

I stopped to take a breath, and noticed that a few people were staring at me. A nurse came out of a room and frowned, silently telling me to keep my voice down. I didn't blame her, though. After all, I was pacing in the hallway outside Edward's room, talking a little too loud on the phone. I felt embarrassed, but not enough to end the call right away. Even though Edward was in the hospital, I still had to work. And the only way I could visit him was doing my work through the computer and the phone.

"Look, I'm at the hospital, so I can't really talk right now," I said, lowering my voice this time. I didn't need to be called out by a nurse. "You can text me if you have any trouble, but I think you'll be fine. I gotta go, bye." I ended the call right before entering Edward's room.

"I didn't think you'd come this early," Edward said as soon as he saw me, his lips curling in a big smile. "I mean, I know you have to go to work."

"I already did , and Vera told me to come here. Most of my work was already done. I just have to make some phone calls and mail out the articles. Now, how are you doing?" I asked, walking toward him to sit on the edge of his bed. "Carlisle told me you'll probably be discharged tonight or tomorrow morning. That's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, I'm anxious to go home. Being in the hospital with a broken leg is only exciting when you're about eight years old," Edward said with a chuckle, but I noticed that he looked a little frustrated. I was pretty sure he was already tired of staying in a bed for that long. "How are you doing? I don't have much to say besides telling you that the food sucks and that's not news."

"Honey, there's something I need to tell you and I don't know how you're going to react," I blurted out, not able to keep it to myself anymore. I had been really anxious to discuss this with Edward, but I didn't know what he was going to say. He gave me a look to encourage me to keep talking. "Yesterday, when I was leaving, a woman approached me. It was Felicia Warner."

"What?" Edward tried to sit up, but leaned back down a second after. I put one hand on his chest to calm him down. "How did this happen? Did she try to hurt you?"

"No, she only wanted to talk. She was a little insistent at first, but we had a quick talk and she backed off."

"I don't know why she wants to talk to you. She could've waited until I got out of the hospital and we would have a proper talk, you know? I know that she's a good person, but we're in a complicated situation right now," he said, sounding kind of mad.

"I wanted to talk to you before contacting her," I explained, but Edward didn't say anything. "What do you think?"

"What do I think? I think this is a bad idea, Bella. With everything that's happened, Felicia is not in her right mind," Edward said with a frown, while nervously playing with his hands. I agreed with him, but for some reason, I was inclined to give this woman a chance. "Believe me, I feel horrible for saying this, but don't you think she wants something? She could have waited at least a few days."

"You should've seen her, Edward. Her eyes were desperate and lifeless at the same time." I got this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach just by thinking about Felicia. "I'm pregnant and you know I would anything for our daughter. I can't even begin to imagine how much it would hurt to lose her."

As soon as I finished talking, I noticed that Edward's expression softened, and he didn't seem to be so anxious like before. Perhaps he was starting to get the point I was trying to make.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked while stroking my cheek. "I know that you feel horrible for her, but I would hate to see you be put in an awkward situation."

"I think it's very cute that you're worrying about me like that," I commented, trying to lighten up his mood. At first he was a little surprised with my sudden change of subject, but he started playing along after a few seconds.

"I have to worry. You have my baby in your belly, after all," he joked, and I slapped him on the arm. "Ow, I was just kidding! You know I worry because I love both of you."

"So, you're okay with me contacting Felicia?" I asked before lying down by his side. This bed was incredibly comfortable for a hospital one, and I was still tired. Edward shifted a little and wrapped an arm around me.

"I'd prefer if you didn't, but there's nothing I can't do. I'm sure you know what you're doing, right?"

"Yeah, I know what I'm doing," I murmured, showing confidence even though Edward managed to make me feel a little hesitant about this whole thing. "So, what can I do to score some jelly here?"

* * *

After talking to Edward and pondering on what would be the best thing to do, I decided to give Felicia a chance. So, there I was, a day later, waiting for her at this restaurant on 50th that I had never heard about. I was sipping my water when Felicia arrived. She looked a little better than the day I first saw her, but she still had that sickly look to her.

"Mrs. Cullen, thank you so much for meeting me. First, I want to apologize for approaching you like that. I don't want you to think that I don't respect you and the situation you're in," she started to say, sounding hesitant. Maybe she thought I would start going off on her at any time.

"Well, I have to admit that our first talk was not ideal, to say the least." I was trying to be as cordial as possible, choosing my words very carefully. "But I'm not sure what you expect from me."

"I wanted you to know that my husband is not like that. Julian has never hurt a person in his life, so I was surprised and horrified when I found out that he assaulted ." She took a deep breath, and it looked like she was having some difficulties with figuring out what to say. I didn't blame her, though. This was a very delicate conversation, after all. "I'm so sorry for all of this. I didn't want to believe that Julian had reached the breaking point."

"It's not your fault, you know? The loss you two suffered, I can't really imagine how you get up in the morning. I probably wouldn't." I couldn't believe that I was feeling so bad for the man that stabbed my husband.

"It took us four years to conceive Matt. We were going to give up, and then I found out that I was pregnant. It was one of the happiest days in my life." Felicia's chapped lips curled in a small smile, and I knew she was reliving the moment. I didn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt her. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm in a nightmare. I keep waiting and thinking he's going to come home. My heart breaks every day when I wake up and realize he's not there. Dr. Cullen cared about us, and he was always honest about everything concerning Matt's health."

"You're right. Edward cared about Matt, and he was very upset when your son passed away," I confirmed.

"I disagree with what Julian did, but he wasn't himself when he did it," Felicia pleaded with tears rolling down her face.

There was something in her tone that caused me to have a bad feeling. Had Edward been right about this? Was Felicia trying to manipulate me? I cleared my throat before speaking.

"Felicia, I understand how hard your situation is for your family, but I can't help but feel like you want to say something else." I was glad my voice came out nice and not accusing. Felicia pushed a few strands of black hair behind her ear. It looked like she was uncomfortable with what I had said.

"Julian was arrested, and we don't really have the money for bail."

Even though Felicia didn't come out and say it, I knew where she was trying to get at. I just couldn't believe that this was all a ploy to convince me to drop the charges.

"I'm sorry, but you wasted your time. When it comes to legal matters, I'm out of the loop. I can't just drop the charges like that."

"What Julian did was wrong, but he's already suffering. He should be home with me." Felicia looked at me with these big, pleading eyes, and I felt like a heartless person for saying no to her.

"I'm going to talk to Edward about that because this decision isn't only mine to make. So I can't make any promises," I said, trying my best not to be manipulated by her devastated expression.

"Oh." Her lips curled in a hard, forced smile, and I honestly thought she was controlling an urge to punch me in the face. She was closing and opening her hands in fists. "That's alright then. Thanks for doing this, Mrs. Cullen."

In a matter of seconds, Felicia had stood up and she was shaking my hand. Her behavior went to a polar opposite faster than I was able to blink, and I figured she was, understandably, also going through a breakdown.

"I am really sorry." That was all I could think to say, as I was feeling crazy awkward and didn't know what to do. Really, all I could do was sit there with my mouth open. Felicia nodded, probably realizing there was nothing else she could do.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too." She stared at my bump for a second, and something flashed in her eyes. "Congratulations on your baby," Felicia said before turning around to leave. I put both hands on my belly in a protective stance.

"Damn," I muttered, sipping on the water to calm down. I didn't know what I expected to happened, but I didn't think it would be like that.

In the end, Edward had a point. I shouldn't have gotten involved. Now, I had to deal with that on top of all the crap I already had to sort out.

Great.

**A/N: So sorry for taking longer than planned to update. I tried my best to write quickly, but that didn't work very well. Besides, it was Carnaval here, so it was hard to stay home. Don't worry, I've already started writing the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and the betas at PTB who edited this chapter.**


	17. It gets too hard sometimes

"Welcome home!" I exclaimed, opening the door for him. Even though there were some complicated things in my life, I was happy that Edward had made a full recovery, and he was back home. A moment of solitude was nice for reflection, but being alone in that huge penthouse was just depressing.

"Thanks." Edward chuckled, trying to keep his balance with the crutches. I could tell he wanted to sit and give his legs a rest, but he was too proud and stubborn to admit that. "You had the time to do all that?"

I didn't even have to look to know that he was talking about the numerous balloons and flowers in the living room. I had also been surprised when I woke up and saw that the room was full of flowers, balloons, and there were even stuffed animals somewhere.

"No. And, surprisingly, Alice wasn't responsible for this either." I threw my handbag on the couch without much care and I grabbed the card from the enormous bouquet of flowers sitting on the coffee table. "This one is from Nurse Helen Roland. Oh, my God, even the nurses are sending you flowers. Should I be worried?" I asked in a fake worried tone, my lips curling in a big smile.

"Not really." He slowly made his way to the couch and sat down. My smile dropped when I saw the somber, almost pained look on his face. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, but he started talking before I had a chance to say anything. "Julian almost attacked Helen. He was asking for me, and she was trying to calm him down. That was when he pulled the knife."

I let out a surprised gasp and moved to sit down by his side. I knew the gist of what had happened, but it felt different to hear the story told by Edward. It wasn't someone reporting a fact anymore. This was emotional and painful for him.

"I don't know what I would have done if someone got hurt. This was all my fault, after all."

His hand was shaking, so I held it between my own as a way to comfort him.

"It's not your fault, Edward. Julian is hurt and he needed someone to blame. That's why he did what he did," I said, getting closer to kiss his cheek. I knew my words had gotten to him, but I had the feeling that it wasn't enough to lessen his guilt. "Come on, look at all of this. I'm sure our home wouldn't look like a gift shop if people thought you were responsible for any of this."

"Yeah," he replied without any enthusiasm, and I sighed, not knowing what else to do. "I'm sorry, Bella."

The apology made me raise my head in confusion. While Edward had a lot of things to be sorry for, this was _not _one of them.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I'm being annoying and frustrating, I guess." He scratched his head, looking like a lost small boy, and my heart went out to him.

"No, I want to help you. What happened was a very serious thing. I don't expect you to be completely okay right after someone stabbed you," I assured him, not wanting Edward to think he was bothering me or anything like that. "You can talk to me. I'll probably not really understand how you're feeling, but I'll listen and try to comfort you."

"Thanks," Edward whispered against my hair and placed a kiss on my forehead. "I thought it would be easier, you know? When I was in the hospital, all I kept thinking was that I would come home and everything would disappear somehow," he said, his forehead wrinkled with deep frown lines as if he was confused about why things weren't instantly better.

"I know that feeling." I began playing with my ring, getting more and more anxious with each passing minute. We still had to discuss how we were going to handle the Julian Warner matter, but I had no idea if this was the right moment to approach the subject. Considering how vulnerable Edward seemed to be, I guessed the answer was no. "Are you hungry? I'm sure the fridge is stocked with leftovers."

"It's okay, I'm not really hungry."

I didn't know what else to say, so we stayed in silence. I was uncomfortable as hell because I had too many thoughts in my mind, with no idea how to voice them. What was I supposed to do? I didn't know if leaving him alone to process things was better than staying there, trying to get him to talk.

"How was your day?" Edward asked, and I figured he thought a neutral subject was better. I felt a little disappointed but tried my best to hide it. "I mean, at the magazine."

"It's always busy. Thank God that Vera was nice enough to let me leave earlier." I shifted a little, feeling kind of uncomfortable for not knowing what to say or do next. Thankfully, Edward chose that moment to yawn, and I thought of something else I needed to tell him. "The doctor said you can't put any weight on your leg, so you can't walk up and down the stairs for a while."

"Let me guess, I'm banished to the guest room downstairs," Edward concluded before I could finish saying it, so I just nodded. He let out a loud laugh, bringing his hands up to cover his face. I was a little shocked at that, but then I realized he looked frustrated. I kind of understood it. After all, I would want to be in my room, in my bed, after leaving the hospital. Having a broken leg was a very annoying thing, to say the least.

"Do you want your bed?" I asked with a baby voice to make him smile. It worked for a few seconds. "It's not like the bed in the guest room is horrible."

"I know it's not. I just miss our bed and lying there with you. Besides, I can't even remember the last time I slept in there. Sleeping alone is just going to be horrible," he said, sounding so dramatic that it was almost funny.

"We may have our problems, but I'm not going to abandon you. I'll be nice enough to leave my bed and stay with you," I said in this holier-than-thou tone, and Edward seemed to be more excited after that. "Now, can we please have dinner? I'm starving," I pleaded, putting my two hands together like I was praying.

"I'm not that hungry, but it's fine. We can be like one of those old couples who have dinner at five in the afternoon." Edward joked, and tried to get up from the couch. When he started to have difficulty handling the crutches, I stood up and helped him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, let's get some food before I die in here."

* * *

I was on a beach with warm, white sand, and palm trees everywhere. This was the perfect place, and exactly where I'd wanted to go for a while. I lay down on the blanket, enjoying the sun on my skin and the birds chirping.

Wait, these birds were chirping in a very weird way. It was really loud and they sounded like an alarm. They really reminded me of the tune I had set up for when I received a new text. Trying to concentrate on this sound, I closed my eyes tightly, but when I woke up, I wasn't on a beach anymore. I was in my room, curled up in bed with my BlackBerry and open laptop by my side.

"Ugh," I muttered while sitting up, trying to figure out what was happening. It was already dark outside, and the only light in the room was coming from my laptop. Still feeling out of sorts, I looked at my phone to see new texts. This was why I hated to be woken up by a loud noise. I always felt confused and it took me a few seconds to understand what was going on around me.

I checked the time on my phone and saw that it was almost midnight. I'd decided to come up to get some work done. It would have preferred to stay downstairs with Edward, but he was trying to rest, and I knew that I would be very annoying with my constant typing. Well, that had been at eight o'clock and it was very late now. I must have slept for almost an hour.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and got up. It would be much more comfortable in bed, but I'd told Edward I would stay with him. So I closed my laptop and started walking, slowly dragging my feet, until I reached the guest room's door. I was about to open it when I noticed that the lamp was on. At first I thought that Edward had forgotten to turn it off, but then I heard movement and a sound that was very similar to sniffing, Very carefully, I opened the door just a bit so I could see what was going on.

Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed facing the window, so I couldn't see his face. His back was hunched like he was in pain and it seemed like he was covering his face with his hands. There was the sniffing sound again and I realized what it was: Edward was crying.

I felt rooted to the ground and couldn't do anything except stay where I was, watching the scene like some creep. My mind was completely blank and I literally couldn't think of what would be the appropriate way to react.

I knew it was weird that I didn't know what to do, but that was the truth. Should I go in there, or did he need to be alone to let it all out? I really wanted to let him know I supported him, but I didn't know if that was supposed to be his time for himself. I was pulled from my questioning daze when Edward let out a sob, and I felt a painful grip on my heart. No, I wasn't that much of a heartless person to leave my husband crying alone in the middle of the night.

"Honey?" I asked, opening the door slowly. Edward froze in shock at me being there and I could see that he tried his best to wipe the tears away with the back of his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." His voice was raspy and sounded like he was trying to swallow his tears. I sat on the bed and started rubbing his back. I thought it would be best not to face him. I had a feeling that he didn't want me to see him like that, and I was going to respect it. "You weren't here."

"I was working upstairs and I feel asleep. Sorry for leaving you alone." I rested my chin on his shoulder and draped my arms around him. Edward breathed in and out, trying to calm himself.

"It's okay." He brought the palm of my hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.

"So, you were kinda crying," I said, feeling a little hesitant because I didn't know how he would react. Edward wasn't the proud man that never talked about his feelings type, but there were definitely times when he just closed off. I hoped this wasn't the time because I could see that he needed help even if he didn't want to recognize it.

"Yeah, I guess I was. Did you remember when you were complaining that you were always crying? I decided to do the crying thing for both of us."

I couldn't even chuckle because I knew he was trying to cover whatever he was feeling with humor.

"I love you, you know?" I said before kissing his cheek. Edward nodded but didn't say anything. Not that I needed something, I just wanted him to feel comfortable enough to be able to let me help him. "I don't know what you're feeling, and I want you to know you can talk to me. I want to be here for the good times and the bad times, too," I whispered this last sentence against his hair and then stayed silent. It was up to him now.

"When I close my eyes, I remember Julian. He's such a good person, so in love with his wife and his son." He paused, and I thought it was because he was trying not to let the tears come. "I'm scared because he reminds me of myself."

In the back of my mind, I thought that Edward wouldn't really try to hurt someone else, but I stayed quiet.

"There's a part of me that understands his actions, and that's not supposed to happen!" Edward exclaimed with such self-hatred that I was alarmed. Of all the things I thought could be bothering Edward, this was not one of them. "He went there and he hurt me. I'm supposed to hate him for trying to hold me responsible for Matt's death and doing this, but I don't."

"This is normal. You know him. You were close enough to see how much that family suffered. Of course you'd be much more sympathetic than everyone else," I argued, not wanting him to feel guilty for basically having feelings. "I'm not going to judge you."

"I keep thinking about what I would do if I lost you and our daughter. I would probably go mental, too."

"It's okay, you don't have to feel bad," I murmured, embracing him even tighter. Edward relaxed in my arms after that, and his chest wasn't heaving so much anymore. We stayed silent, and the only sound filling the room was Edward's occasional sniffs.

"Can we just go to sleep? I'm still tired and I don't want to talk about this anymore," Edward said in an exhausted voice. I let go of him and started rearranging the pillows on the bed.

"Yeah, I'm really tired, too." I lay on my back, trying to get in a comfortable position.

Edward turned off the light and also lay down beside me. I could feel him moving, still restless. With my eyes closed, I reached out one hand to touch his chest and got closer to him, but not too close because I didn't want to roll over and risk hurting him.

"You're going to be okay. I promise," I said in a confident voice, hoping he would believe me.

* * *

"You have no idea how much I love you right now!" I cried out, pushing the papers aside and getting up from the chair to hug Jules. She was my heroine right now, because I couldn't think of another person who would help me out like this. I mean, Jules got her behind out of bed on a Saturday morning just to help me sort through the million things I had to do concerning Alette and keep me from going crazy.

"I know how much you love me and how much you owe me," Jules said in a serious voice while hugging me back. "I kinda missed having you with me. I've barely seen you this week."

"Yeah, things were hectic, and Vera was very understanding to let me work from home," I explained. "Don't worry. Everything is worked out and you'll have me back pretty soon."

"Good. Work is just boring without you," Jules complained like a child, and I couldn't help laughing.

"I really doubt it, but thanks," I said with a smile. "And thank you for coming here all the way from downtown on a Saturday morning. I know you hate getting up early on weekends, so this means a lot to me."

"Don't go all sentimental on me," she warned, probably noticing the hitch in my voice. I laughed and shook my head, even though I was getting a little emotional. Jules looked down at her watch to check the time. "Are you all set or do you need me for anything else?"

"Jules, you can tell me if I'm keeping you from doing something."

"No, it's not that. My cousin is coming to stay with me and I was hoping to get some sleep before she arrives." Jules rubbed her eyes and I could see how tired she really was. Maybe I hadn't noticed earlier because I was in a hurry to get work done.

"It's okay; I just have to do a few things. You can go home; I've got this," I assured her and she let out a relieved breath. Now I felt bad. It wasn't like I would make her stay and work all day long. I was a little anxious to get things done, but not that anxious. "Thank you for the help."

"Yeah, no problem," she said with a smile while bending down to pick up her handbag. I walked her to the door and opened it. Before turning around to leave, Jules gave me this hesitant look like she wanted to say something.

"Spit it out, Jules."

"I just wanted you to know that I'm here for whatever you need. I know you said earlier you didn't really want to talk about this, but I feel like I'll lose my friend card if I don't even mention the subject." Jules spoke so fast that it took me a few seconds to understand what she was saying.

"Don't worry, your friend card isn't going to be revoked. I said that before because I wanted to work and not think about all the bad things. I didn't want this to become the topic of the conversation, you know?" I tried to explain because I didn't want her to feel like she was invading my privacy or not respecting my wishes. "I appreciate your concern, Jules." I hugged her for the third time that morning.

"Tell Edward I hope he recovers soon. And you can call me when you need me. I know we can be very different, but I consider you my friend." She shrugged her shoulders, and I found that to be really endearing. Jules was the epitome of the New York woman, so I was surprised when she broke out of the mold.

"Thanks. See you on Monday?"

"Sure. Ciao, Bella!" she exclaimed and blew me a kiss before walking away.

A second after I closed the door, my BlackBerry started ringing loudly from its place on the coffee table. All I wanted was to have a nice and quiet morning, and something inside me advised me to just ignore it and join Edward in bed. But then again, it could be something important. I checked the display before answering and saw that it was Carlisle.

"Hello?"

"Hello Bella, it's me," Carlisle greeted me, and I tried my best to analyze the tone of his voice. Whenever he directly called me, it wasn't to deliver good news. However, he sounded so neutral now, so I wasn't able to get anything from him.

"Are you calling to check how Edward's doing?" I asked, because I was aware that Edward had preferred to keep to himself instead of updating his parents on how he was doing.

"Well, it's also about that."

There he went with that cryptic tone of his. I chuckled nervously. Of course he had something important to say.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Julian Warner got out on bail and now he and his lawyer want to set up a meeting with Edward and his lawyer."

I frowned in confusion. A few days ago, Felicia had begged me to drop the charges because they had a huge pile of hospital bills and no money for bail. A huge turn of events must have happened for him to be out of jail.

"When do they want to do this? In a few weeks, I guess," I said hopefully. To be honest, I was trying not to freak out. Edward was in no state to endure this meeting.

"Actually, they want to do it this Monday." He sighed. I wondered if Carlisle spent hours on the phone, trying to convince this lawyer not to do this. He probably did, and now he was tired and frustrated. I could imagine him rubbing his temple to relieve the stress. "I tried to talk to Edward, but he doesn't want to listen or say anything."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Edward's trying to cope with everything his own way, and I guess he chose to close up," I explained, hoping that Carlisle wouldn't think that Edward was shutting him off on purpose.

"I understand that."

"I'll talk to him, but I can't make any promises. Edward's been keeping his feelings to himself, so I have no idea if he'll be upset about this, you know?"

"No, it's okay. I can take care of things if Edward doesn't want to be involved now," he said and I let out a relieved breath. It was nice to know that we wouldn't have to deal with this mess all alone. We were adults, but I felt like a confused child at the moment.

"Okay. I'll call you after talking to him and we'll figure out what to do."

"That sounds good. Thanks for being so supportive of him. This is a hard time for all of us and you're being great."

I shrugged my shoulders even though Carlisle couldn't see me, feeling a little uncomfortable. What I was doing was what I supposed to do, and I didn't want Carlisle to think I was this amazing woman for doing it.

"Thanks, we'll talk later, okay?" I said and hung up. I stayed on the couch, thinking of the best way to tell Edward about this. "You can do this, Bella," I told myself as I walked to Edward's office. My mind was reeling, and I was imagining all the possible scenarios that could happen in the next five minutes or so.

* * *

I opened the door slowly, not wanting to startle him. Edward was sitting on the dark brown leather couch he loved so much and reading a medical journal. His face had a serious, almost tense expression. I wondered if he had heard my conversation with Carlisle. I was quite sure he hadn't, but I felt scared nonetheless. After all, I wanted to be able to ease him into the subject.

"There you are," I said, announcing my presence. Edward looked at me with a smile and put down the journal. "I thought you would be resting right now."

"I'm kind of tired of being in bed. I figured I could do something productive, you know?" He looked at the journal, and sadness crossed his eyes for a second. I wouldn't have noticed had I not been paying close attention.

"You miss it, don't you?" I asked, moving to sit next to him. His forehead frowned in confusion. "You miss being at the hospital and working all those crazy hours," I explained with a small smile.

"Yeah, I think I do. It's funny that I spent a long time wishing I could relax and be with you more often, and now that I'm here, I want to go to work." There was a tint of guilt in his voice, and I held his hand in an attempt to make him feel better.

"You're in a very complicated situation, Edward. I'm sure everything's confusing right now."

"That's right."

"Speaking of complicated situations, we need to talk about something," I said tentatively, and Edward turned his head to face me. He already seemed to be expecting bad news. I hated having to confirm his concerns. "I talked to Felicia Warner, remember? Well, she talked and then asked if it would be possible to drop the charges."

"Damn, I knew this would happen. What did you say?"

"I told her I couldn't and wouldn't do anything without talking to you first," I said, as if that was the most obvious answer in the world. "It wasn't that bad; it was just uncomfortable for both of us, I guess."

"That's better than what I expected. I thought she would try to play with your emotions and manipulate you."

"This is a very sad situation, and I sympathize with her, but I'm not going to put her above you," I assured him, while caressing the back of his hand with my thumb. "My talk with Felicia is not the only thing we have to talk about."

"I don't like the tone of your voice. What happened?" Edward asked, and it sounded like he was dreading to hear what I had to say. I didn't blame him. I wasn't too excited to tell him the news.

"Carlisle called me. I don't know how, but Julian Warner managed to get the money for bail. He and his lawyer want to have a meeting with your lawyer. They probably want to convince you to drop the charges." I looked at Edward, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but he had his poker face on.

"They want me to go to this meeting." Edward stated. His voice was detached and a little cold, but I saw a glint of fear in his eyes. My first instinct was to reach out and hug him, and that was exactly what I did.

"You don't have to go. Carlisle said he would be able to handle this without you being there," I told him and kissed his cheek to offer him some comfort. "We just want you to be okay. If you don't want to see this man now, you don't need to."

Edward didn't reply right away. He was staring at the wall, and I figured he needed some time to process everything.

"It's okay, I'll go," he answered after a few minutes of silence. I was completely surprised with that, as I had expected him to let Carlisle deal with the problem.

"Are you sure about this? I know it won't be easy to see him or be close to him."

"It's not going to be easy, but I want to be there. I want to know his reasons for doing what he did."

"I just don't want you to think that you are obligated to do that."

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry, I don't feel obligated to go," Edward assured me, while throwing an arm to rest on my shoulders. I nodded slowly, maybe because I didn't really understand his decision. "You're confused, aren't you?"

"A little. I mean, I didn't think you would want to see this man for a while. I know I wouldn't be ready for this in such a short time."

"I get what you're saying, but there's something that makes me want to go," Edward explained, and even though I still didn't understand it, I didn't say anything else. "Are you going to be there with me?"

"Do you really want me there?" I wanted to make sure that Edward wanted me to be there instead of feeling pressured to include me.

"I wouldn't ask otherwise, Bella. I need you to be there with me," he pleaded, letting all of his fragility show again.

"Then I'll be there," I said, secretly hoping that this would end well.

* * *

"Thanks for agreeing to meet us today, Dr. Carlisle and Dr. Edward." Adam Reed, Julian's lawyer, shook hands with Carlisle and Edward. It was almost funny how he promptly ignored the not-so-pleasant looks he was receiving from both Edward and Carlisle. "I think we're ready to start this, aren't we?"

Lucas Thornton, Edward's lawyer, replied, but I wasn't focused on him anymore. From my place, I was silently analyzing _him_. I just couldn't stop staring at him. Julian Warner was young, and by looking at him, I would never have imagined he was capable of such a crime.

"You have got to be kidding," Lucas exclaimed, seeming like he had run out of patience. I frowned, not understanding how we got to this point in less than fifteen minutes. I really needed to pay attention to what was happening around me. "Your client entered the hospital with a knife and proceeded to stab Dr. Edward, which resulted in him having a concussion and a broken leg. This was premeditated. I think that's a good reason for us not to drop the charges."

"Mr. Warner was going through a very hard time and couldn't deal with the death of his son," Adam tried to argue, but I could tell that Lucas was having none of it. I honestly didn't know how he was able to stand there and look like he didn't have an ounce of compassion in his body. That was a talent, I had to say.

"That doesn't justify his actions. If your client believes that it was the doctor's fault for this tragedy, he should sue the hospital, not attack the resident that wasn't even in charge of this case."

"Oh, don't worry. We are considering suing the hospital," Adam informed us with this cynical grin and I just knew that would be enough to rile Edward up. Carlisle beat him to it, and said something first.

"Mr. Warner, what happened to your son wasn't anyone's fault. His condition worsened considerably and unexpectedly, and everyone involved did their best to save his life," Carlisle explained, but we both knew that his words wouldn't have any effect.

"Honestly, Adam, I don't know what we're doing here. I can't solve your problem. This is the state's problem, remember? You said you had something important to talk about. What is it?"

It seemed like Lucas decided that this wasn't worth our time and decided to keep things short. Edward had this unreadable look on his face and his eyes kept shifting, as if he didn't know what to focus on.

"Everyone here knows that the Cullen family is a prominent one here in the city and I've been hearing things…" Adam trailed off, and we didn't have a clue of what he was talking about. When Lucas raised both of his eyebrows in confusion, Adam decided to explain it. "There's been talk of attempted murder. We both know this is crap."

"I wasn't aware of that, and even if I was, I can't control other people." Lucas shrugged. "But it's not like attempted murder is so far out of the picture. Like I've said, your client did have a clear plan: he picked a weapon, went to the hospital, and assaulted Dr. Edward."

"Exactly, you said the key word here: assault."

"Yeah, but you don't have to be an amazing lawyer to-"

"Will you two just shut up? It was all an accident; I didn't mean to hurt Dr. Edward and I certainly didn't mean to kill him!" Julian yelled, his pale face getting redder by the second. I gasped in surprise because I wasn't expecting that at all. I thought he would just sit there and let his lawyer do all of the talking.

It seemed like I was wrong.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Warner, but do you really expect me to believe that?" Lucas asked in a rhetorical and almost condescending way.

"Please don't say anything, Julian," Adam advised his client, but it didn't matter. Julian seemed ready and determined to share his side of the story. In a way, I felt relieved because I knew that was Edward what wanted to hear.

"No. Look, I went to the hospital, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. Yes, in the back of my mind I wanted to hurt him, but I changed my mind."

"Let me see if this makes sense. You changed your mind and yet, you still hurt my client. How is that even possible?" Lucas questioned, and Julian seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown.

"It wasn't like that. I asked for Dr. Edward and this nurse saw my knife. She started to freak out and I stupidly pulled my knife. That was when he came, tried to take the knife from me. It was an accident." Julian was out of breath when he finished the story and he just sort of collapsed on his chair.

I glanced at Edward to see if that had been enough for him. It didn't look like it. To tell the truth, he looked like it physically hurt him to be there. His body was all tense and he was breathing very slowly.

"But why even go to the hospital with a knife?"

My heart tightened painfully when I heard Edward's quiet voice. Julian frowned, not expecting Edward to actually talk to him. I was also a little surprised that Edward managed to control himself enough to just ask him and not beat the guy.

"You told us he would be okay; he would be able to go home in a few weeks. Why didn't you just tell the truth instead of lying to us?"

"I didn't know! Nobody could've imagined that his state was so bad. I really liked Matt and his death upset me. I've always tried my best to be honest and clear with my patients."

"It just didn't seem fair. My son is dead and you get to hold your newborn baby in a few months. Out of everyone who took care of Matt, you were the one we trusted the most. I was blinded by rage and I couldn't accept that while I lost my child, you would have yours. I thought you knew and you were trying to protect the hospital by not telling us anything." Julian finished his confession with a sob and wet eyes. He wiped the tears that had fallen with his sleeve and went back to staring at Edward. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I was seeing red at the time and I just wanted someone to pay."

Edward didn't reply, a reaction that was expected from him. What I didn't expect was for him to start getting up. That was just not how he did things.

"Edward?" Carlisle looked at him, as confused as I was. Edward didn't say anything, just tried to regain his balance to start walking without the crutches.

Right, the crutches! I got up from my chair near the window and handed him the crutches. He looked grateful for a second before his face returned to its neutral state. I was dying to ask what was happening, why he was doing this, but I could wait a few minutes.

"I don't want this anymore," Edward stated in an authoritative voice. "Drop the charges. Use your contacts to make it disappear. I don't care. I just don't want any of us to go through this." He was tense and I thought he was trying not to explode.

"Okay," Carlisle answered, still in shock. I didn't think he expected that from his son.

And I didn't expect it either.

* * *

"Where do you want to go?" Edward asked me with genuine excitement as he hailed a cab. I was pretty sure my I was looking at him like he had grown a second and then a third head on each side of his neck.

After that whole scene in the office, Edward had a complete turnaround when it came to his emotions. He was acting like nothing had happened and that was honestly freaking me out. I didn't want him to break down in tears, but ignoring everything didn't seem healthy.

"Edward," I murmured, holding his arm to stop him from actually hailing the cab. I wanted to know what was going inside his mind. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Is it so weird that I want to spend some time with my wife?"

"It's weird when it's after such an emotional moment. I know this affected you on some level."

"I want to get ice cream and forget this happened, Bella. I was serious when I asked my father to make this all go away," he said earnestly, his voice wavering a little. "Please?"

"You do know we'll have to talk about this, right? As painful as this subject is, ignoring it is going to make everything harder." I wanted to add that it was going to become an elephant in the room, just like the problems in our marriage. In my opinion, Edward didn't seem to really understand how detrimental it would be to just sweep this under the rug without any further discussion.

"Yeah," Edward replied, sounding distracted. I wasn't exactly surprised by his reaction, as Edward had the tendency to close up when he didn't want to deal with something. He leaned down to kiss my cheek and hug me. "I know. I'll be fine."

"I believe in you," I whispered while combing his messy hair with my fingers. It was strangely therapeutic to be there, in the middle of the sidewalk, having that moment with him. "But I think we need to see that counselor I'd mentioned. We need this, don't you think?"

Edward stood still, probably surprised. Yeah, I admitted that this was not the best moment to bring that up, but I couldn't keep quiet this time. This was for the best, though. We needed to stop beating around the bush, and this was a good time to start.

"You're right. We've been through a lot this past month," Edward agreed, and I felt like a big weight had been lifted off my chest.

"Now, we can go get the ice cream you want so badly," I said much more excited. "It's all going to be okay, isn't it?"

"It is, don't worry." Edward smiled.

I had the feeling he got exactly what I was talking about, and I knew we would be able to work it out.

A/N: I am really sorry for making you guys wait so long for this chapter! Thank you so much for your review and I'll try to respond to them this time. Thanks to the betas at PTB, too! Don't worry, I am going to complete the story!


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